It's not unusual for a player to switch sides in the Green Bay Packers-Dallas Cowboys rivalry. We already have two big revenge games brewing this weekend, thanks to the Micah Parsons-Kenny Clark blockbuster trade.
Just days before the Sunday Night Football clash, the Cowboys have signed a recently released Packers cornerback, Corey Ballentine.
Ballentine spent three years in Green Bay and returned for a brief stint this summer. He now joins Dallas three days before his former team comes to town. The timing is interesting, to say the least.
Cowboys signing Corey Ballentine is clearly to get Packers intel before SNF
Take nothing away from Ballentine. He is a valuable addition to any team. The veteran is joining the Cowboys' practice squad, but he's talented enough to eventually earn snaps, particularly on special teams. We believed he would make the Packers' initial 53-man roster this summer.
But the timing of this move couldn't be more obvious. Ballentine holds the secrets to Jeff Hafley's defense, a unit currently ranked No. 1 in the NFL for points allowed.
"Huh I wonder why," Matt Schneidman of The Athletic joked in response to the Cowboys signing Ballentine.
It's a classic move. Sign an opponent's recently released player and gain some intel.
And if we're honest, the Packers never should've let Ballentine leave in the first place. He has proven himself as a quality backup cornerback while playing significant snaps on special teams.
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The problem for Dallas is that it almost doesn't matter what Ballentine tells them. Sure, he knows the scheme, but the Packers had already released him by the time Micah Parsons had arrived. With Parsons, Green Bay can consistently win with four pass-rushers.
Opponents may know what's coming. It doesn't mean they can stop it.
Parsons' impact is significant. Beyond the plays he makes, he has unlocked a new level for this defense. Rashan Gary has a league-leading 4.5 sacks, putting him on pace for an unfathomable 25.5 this season.
Ballentine's best advice is something the Cowboys already know: Micah Parsons is really good.
Still, when the league's top scoring defense is coming to town, it makes sense to try something to gain an advantage. And Ballentine is talented enough to stick around and contribute in Dallas this season.