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Scandrick: Last season a learning experience
July, 29, 2010
By Tim MacMahon
SAN ANTONIO – Orlando Scandrick, who battled for a starting job during last year’s training camp, arrived at the Alamodome with a little rust and a refreshing attitude.
Scandrick, who missed most of the offseason team workouts after breaking his left index finger, has performed well after a rough first couple of practices. He’s a competitor who plans to be a starter in the NFL for a long time, but he readily accepts his role as the nickel corner for a Super Bowl contender.
“ I’m so excited about this year, more excited about it than any year of football ever.” Scandrick said. “We’ve got a chance to do some big things.”
Scandrick describes last season as a "learning experience." The plan for him to alternate starts with Mike Jenkins ended after he had an awful performance in the Week 2 loss to the New York Giants, getting beaten repeatedly by Pro Bowl receiver Steve Smith.
“When they have a year to see what you do well and a whole offseason to see what you don’t do well at the NFL level, they kind of catch up to you,” said Scandrick, who feels like he’s reacting again after thinking on the field too much last season. “Last year, I learned what I needed to work on, things that I got away with my rookie year. I think it’s going to help me in the long run.”
It took Scandrick a little while to bounce back from the disappointment of playing poorly and losing the competition to start, but he finished the season strong. He actually had the best success rate -- a formula calculated by FootballOutsiders.com that considers, for example, a 5-yard gain on third-and-7 a success for the defense –- among the Cowboys cornerbacks and ranked 12th in the league at 59 percent.
“You can look at us and say maybe we made a mistake in that game [by starting Scandrick], but in the long run, he improved week after week at the nickel position and did a good job,” secondary coach Dave Campo said. “Now, if something happened and he had to go out there and play full-time outside, I think you’d see the same thing.
“The guy is a good football player and he’s getting better and better as he goes. I feel that he’s a starter.”
July, 29, 2010
By Tim MacMahon
SAN ANTONIO – Orlando Scandrick, who battled for a starting job during last year’s training camp, arrived at the Alamodome with a little rust and a refreshing attitude.
Scandrick, who missed most of the offseason team workouts after breaking his left index finger, has performed well after a rough first couple of practices. He’s a competitor who plans to be a starter in the NFL for a long time, but he readily accepts his role as the nickel corner for a Super Bowl contender.
“ I’m so excited about this year, more excited about it than any year of football ever.” Scandrick said. “We’ve got a chance to do some big things.”
Scandrick describes last season as a "learning experience." The plan for him to alternate starts with Mike Jenkins ended after he had an awful performance in the Week 2 loss to the New York Giants, getting beaten repeatedly by Pro Bowl receiver Steve Smith.
“When they have a year to see what you do well and a whole offseason to see what you don’t do well at the NFL level, they kind of catch up to you,” said Scandrick, who feels like he’s reacting again after thinking on the field too much last season. “Last year, I learned what I needed to work on, things that I got away with my rookie year. I think it’s going to help me in the long run.”
It took Scandrick a little while to bounce back from the disappointment of playing poorly and losing the competition to start, but he finished the season strong. He actually had the best success rate -- a formula calculated by FootballOutsiders.com that considers, for example, a 5-yard gain on third-and-7 a success for the defense –- among the Cowboys cornerbacks and ranked 12th in the league at 59 percent.
“You can look at us and say maybe we made a mistake in that game [by starting Scandrick], but in the long run, he improved week after week at the nickel position and did a good job,” secondary coach Dave Campo said. “Now, if something happened and he had to go out there and play full-time outside, I think you’d see the same thing.
“The guy is a good football player and he’s getting better and better as he goes. I feel that he’s a starter.”