Orlando Scandrick should still find NFL interest in 2019
By Matt Conner
Former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Orlando Scandrick is at the end of his career, but he should still find employment in 2019.
The Chiefs have been applying single-year bandages on their wounds at cornerback since Brett Veach took over as general manager. From David Amerson to Darrelle Revis to Orlando Scandrick, Veach has favored adding an aging veteran to the mix on the cheap hoping that there’s enough left in the tank to make a difference. This year, he’s hoping Bashaud Breeland is the outlier of the bunch.
As for Scandrick, there was a stretch last season where he looked the part early on. After a rough first week where he allowed two touchdowns, Pro Football Focus noticed that he succeeded in not allowing a single score on him for the next five weeks. Unfortunately from there, his play went downhill and he was eventually benched by season’s end to make way for Charvarius Ward.
The Chiefs leaned too heavily on Scandrick and it was clear that he was not fit to lock down the boundary in Bob Sutton’s defense. Then again, a lot of guys, especially in the secondary, did not look good for Sutton last season. It also didn’t help that the safeties all around them were a hot mess.
Even after being benched, Pro Football Focus still rated Scandrick as Above Average on the season and at No. 40 overall among cornerbacks for defense (and #42 for coverage). Even at the age of 32, those numbers still play in a passing league. Most teams will likely allow their young corners to get more experience in camp, but it wouldn’t surprise me one bit to see Scandrick suit up for another team in 2019 before the season begins.
If Scandrick signs, look for the Detroit Lions as a potential destination. Paul Pasqualoni is back in the league as the team’s defensive coordinator, and he’s coached Scandrick before in Dallas. Perhaps a marriage could be made there. It likely depends on how the staff feels about the team’s overall depth after signing Justin Coleman and Rashaan Melvin as well as drafting Penn State product Amani Oruwariye in the fifth round.
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Last season, Scandrick had 44 total tackles, 13 passes defended, and 1 interception in 15 games (7 starts) for the Chiefs.