The Indianapolis Colts brought in veteran cornerback Xavier Rhodes holding the belief they can get him back to the high level of play he was enjoying before his release from the Minnesota Vikings.

The former All-Pro cornerback is coming off of his worst season since entering the league, but Colts general manager Chris Ballard believes they can get him back to what he was as an above-average cornerback in the NFL.

Having been released from the Vikings—the team that drafted him—sparked a fire in the 29-year-old.

“He is only 29 years old. He’s got some unique traits and we think we can get him back to playing at that level. I think he is pretty hungry,” Ballard said Friday on a conference call. “I think being released by Minnesota sparked a fire in him. It’s fun, it is going to be fun to watch him play with a chip on his shoulder. I think he can still be a high performer for us.”

The Colts brought in Rhodes quickly after releasing Pierre Desir, who wound up signing with the New York Jets. Working on the boundary, Rhodes brings length and experience to the secondary while primarily defending in a zone defense should help him.

It should also help that Rhodes has a pair of familiar faces on the coaching staff.

“I mean look we have a coach who has history with him, Jonathan Gannon, and also Alan (Williams),” Ballard said. “But saying that, this guy has been a Pro-Bowl corner in the league.”

The Colts have a starting trio of cornerbacks in Rhodes, Rock Ya-Sin and Kenny Moore, but they still might add some young talent during the draft next week.

Regardless, the Colts are expecting a bounce-back campaign from Rhodes as the defense looks to take another step forward.