FRISCO, Texas — On March 9, the NFL's legal tampering period will begin for pending free agents.
The Cowboys will have their fair share of free agents on the roster, which of course they can agree to terms with and sign at any time before that period.
From unrestricted free agents to restricted and exclusive rights free agents, Dallas has a lot of decisions to make over the next month when it comes to how they want to construct their roster for 2026, and even beyond.
With that, we'll examine each pending free agent on the Cowboys' current roster, continuing with defensive back Corey Ballentine.
How He Got Here
Ballentine's journey in the NFL began as a sixth-round pick of the rival New York Giants in 2019, a former Cliff Harris Award winner at Washburn. He'd spend plenty of time in New York, also as a member of the Jets, before stints with several other clubs as well, ultimately landing with the New England Patriots in 2025. It was after his release in September that the Cowboys gave him a call, needing help and depth at cornerback due to injury — Dallas signed him to the practice squad.
What He Did in 2025
He'd spend most of his season developing with the practice squad in 2025, working to carve a path onto the active and gameday roster. Though he was elevated from the practice squad, he couldn't find a way to make an impact on gameday(s). Ballentine finished his lone season in Dallas having logged only two combined tackles, and no other statistics.
Why He Could Stay
If the Cowboys feel they'd like to continue developing Ballentine, they could give him the nod to return at some point this year, though he will be 30 years old in April — something that would impact any decision made in the realm of continued development. The most likely path back to a Cowboys' uniform would be Ballentine convincing the team he's a viable bit of insurance at cornerback.
Why He Could Leave
It is extremely likely the Cowboys will be on the hunt in free agency (and the draft) for more proven options and/or ones with a higher upside. The addition of Christian Parker (a former passing game coordinator) and a new-look defensive staff will lean toward the team looking for new life on that side of the ball, and especially in a secondary that was wildly out of sorts in 2025. Ballentine, an NFL journeyman, could be on the move yet again this offseason.
