Scandrick's injury no big deal in the grand scheme

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Guess that's why they extended him
The addressed cb in the draft because Mo is about to be a free agent, had nothing to do with scan

And now people expect Mo to step up. lol

 

[texbumthelife]

Oh my gosh, they've got five corners better than the infinitely overrated Larry Brown.

But he caught those two balls Neil O'Donnel threw right at him in the Super Bowl!

 

[conner01]

And now people expect Mo to step up. lol

We need mo to step up and if he can stay healthy I think he will do well.
There is nothing like a contract year to get the best football out of a player
Money is a very good motivator and his next contract will depend on what he does this year

 

[Doc50]

I actually heard someone, with a straight face and a stern brow, blame Orlando Scandrick's injury on Jason Garrett yesterday. I kid you not. His "point" was that if Garrett had held the scheduled day at the beach as usual - Garrett cancelled it because of the poor performance on Sunday - Scandrick would not have been on the practice field and gotten hurt.

He was serious. I pointed out that, by his logic, if they just cancelled training camp altogether and played only end-of-the-roster guys in preseason, we could be guaranteed not to lose a starter by the Giants game. I was told that was ridiculous. He couldn't connect the dots of my point. In fact, I don't think he could find his butt with a flashlight and a map.

So I decided to blow his circuitry further with this point, which I'm about 75 percent serious about: Scandrick's injury was a good thing.

First, some context to my thinking. If you had to choose a significant starter to lose during the preseason, which most every preseason brings, Scandrick would probably be a good choice. The depth at cornerback has improved beyond the cast from last year, when he was suspended for Draya mollies for four games. Tyler Patmon looks like a real player, as does Corey White, to go along with Carr and the two first-round picks of Mo and Jones. Add to that what looks like an improved pass rush, and the group is bolstered all the more.

Second, I'm one that thinks Scandrick is a bit overrated. His leadership quality and reasonable ability shined during the recent Dark Ages of Cowboys defensive football, when yardage leaked like Ashley Madison accounts. He was a lone wolf in a pack of Shih tzus for a good while, which made him look like the second coming of Deion Sanders around here (which my buddy seems to believe).

The fact is, this loss can be absorbed, and assuming no other corner injuries occur, thank you, there's really no need to add a sixth corner right now.

That could mean that a player Dallas DIDN'T want to waive doesn't necessarily have to be. The Cowboys have entered that rare air of a team that has to let go of good players other teams want because need at other positions dictates certain decisions, or in this case, a wealth of ability at a single position that you just can't cut. I half expected a trade of one of these quality corners anyway because of need elsewhere.

So who benefits from Scandrick's misfortune? Nick Harwell? AJ Jenkins? Ben Gardner? Ken Bishop? Lavar Edwards? Tim Scott? Mark Nzeocha? Keith Smith? A guy soon to be cut elsewhere?

Just who grabbed their eye that now has new hope for the 53? Or whom out there has tickled their distant fancy?

The best thing about this whole thing is simple. I'm not worried about it, not in the least. I have full confidence that Will McClay's talent bandits are on the prowl, and there's a good solution in the making, here already or not. They've got this well in hand.

While I watch other teams wallowing in desperation over lost Achilles and ACLs, I see a deepening roster here very much intact right now. That doesn't preclude an injury this weekend, or any weekend from here to January, but as it stands, this particular loss is really no big deal. Part of the NFL, which seems more wrought with injuries with every passing season.

In fact, aside from a season-ender to Romo, Tyron, or Dez, I don't think there's an injury this team couldn't amply absorb and roll on, so long as they didn't come in high quantity. That's why my choice would be to keep another outside receiver, just in case the worst case with Dez happened. I actually think they could manage through that, albeit with difficulty.

Now, that said, no more of these, please. Quick success Saturday, and get them out pronto, por favor. Shut them down until the Giants.

Injuries certainly have a way of sorting out a roster, and it's somewhat Darwinian.

None of us want to see an old star allowed to play past his prime because of past contributions and loyalty. Yes, we love such a guy, but his contract won't match his production. Same with a gimpy star, and Scandrick's knee (or something else) was already limiting his effectiveness.

If that was it, and now he gets it fixed and fully recovers, then his production will be welcome.
Meanwhile, we get to develop other very promising talent who are younger, healthier, and cheaper.

As has been mentioned many times before, there are very few indispensable players (thankfully), and the team moves on in the perpetual battle of survival of the fittest.

 

[jrumann59]

Oh my gosh, they've got five corners better than the infinitely overrated Larry Brown.

Was Brown over rated, I mean besides the gifts he was given in the SB he had to play 2nd fiddle to Deion in 95 and got tested a lot. he may not have been K. Smith good but he was solid. Right now on paper we have 3-4 guys that look to be solid but until the bullets fly we do not know how solid they will be. Think about outside Carr and maybe white, you have Mo (so far a bust), UDFA Patmon, Rookie Jones

 

[erod]

Was Brown over rated, I mean besides the gifts he was given in the SB he had to play 2nd fiddle to Deion in 95 and got tested a lot. he may not have been K. Smith good but he was solid. Right now on paper we have 3-4 guys that look to be solid but until the bullets fly we do not know how solid they will be. Think about outside Carr and maybe white, you have Mo (so far a bust), UDFA Patmon, Rookie Jones

A pass rush is going to do wonders for the entire secondary.

 

[erod]

But he caught those two balls Neil O'Donnel threw right at him in the Super Bowl!

Larry Brown is the definition of what a pass rush can do for a cornerback.

 

[Idgit]

Well, that's one way of looking at it.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Great. The first lob of the "blessing in disguise" thread variant.

Let's make no bones about this. OScan makes us a better defense.

Geez. Thank you!

His "passion" and outbursts during a few games last turned the momentum in our favor.
People never take into account the intangibles... Let alone the talent.

 

[erod]

Well, that's one way of looking at it.

LOL, all I'm saying is that if Orlando Scandrick was the difference in a Super Bowl or not, then Dallas was shaky already.

You knew we were going to lose a guy. These days everybody loses at least one front-line player. Who hasn't this preseason?

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

We need mo to step up and if he can stay healthy I think he will do well.
There is nothing like a contract year to get the best football out of a player
Money is a very good motivator and his next contract will depend on what he does this year

I wouldn't hold my breath. I think he's a lost cause. I hope I'm wrong but then I'll have to say where has he been all these years? He was supposed to be our shutdown corner and he's played like a scrub.

 

[DallasInDC]

A pass rush is going to do wonders for the entire secondary.

I agree with this statement. If our pass rush improves dramatically, I expect Carr to look like the player we expected when we signed him to the big contract, MO to look like a top 10 (plus 2nd rd.) pick, and Patmon to look like another UDFA steal. While I am exaggerating to some degree, I do expect our DBs to perform much better with a legitimate pass rush. What I do worry about is our overall run defense. that may not be as good.

 

[jrumann59]

Larry Brown is the definition of what a pass rush can do for a cornerback.

He still had more passes his way than Deion had his way. He was picked on more than most cornerbacks were, I am not saying he is superstar but he was consistent. 6 INts in 1995 were good to. Do you think any of the CB we have now will sniff 6 INTs even if Snadrick played

 

[Idgit]

LOL, all I'm saying is that if Orlando Scandrick was the difference in a Super Bowl or not, then Dallas was shaky already.

You knew we were going to lose a guy. These days everybody loses at least one front-line player. Who hasn't this preseason?

Well, that I agree with. We've got some interesting young players behind him. If he weren't on the roster at all, I wouldn't love it, but I wouldn't hate our situation at CB. But he's a hell of a player, overall. One of the really good slot CBs in the league and a respected veteran in the locker room. Fortunately, I think his replacement has a little of that attitude, too.

 

[foofighters]

It is like the Kevin Smith injury of many years ago, the team made it through that and at the time Kevin Smith was considered a corner about to turn the corner into a top flight CB. My concern is do we have a Larry Brown in the pack.

Who is Larry Brown? The who was gift wrapped two INT's from Neil O'Donnell? The MVP should have been Neil that game!

 

[DallasEast]

Who is Larry Brown? The who was gift wrapped two INT's from Neil O'Donnell? The MVP should have been Neil that game!

That's wickedly sarcastic. I lol'd.

 

[DTown214]

I definitely wouldn't say it was a good thing... but I don't think losing O-Scan was that big of a deal either. When you think of it as us losing our best corner, it sounds bad. But let's be honest, Scandrick just happened to be the best corner on a team with a bad secondary. We all love O-Scan but he can be replaced. We have depth at the position. And hypothetically, if I could have just Orlando Scandrick or both Byron Jones and Corey White... I'm probably taking Jones/White, who we didn't have either of last year. Plus this year we're adding a motivated Mo Claiborne who's gonna be fighting for his next contract. Even with the Scandrick injury you could say we've upgraded the corner position from last season. And the much improved pash rush will help the secondary a lot as well.

So yeah, I don't think the loss is as big as everyone is making it out to be. People are acting like Scandrick is freakin' Deion Sanders. Someone on ESPN yesterday actually said that us losing Scandrick is a bigger loss than the Packers losing Jordy Nelson. Like really!? That's absurd to me. Jordy was a 1,500 yard receiver and Rodgers' favorite target. The two injuries don't compare. Scandrick didn't even start getting recognition as a good corner until last year or the year before. He's never made a pro-bowl and never had more than 2 INTs in a season. Honestly the biggest loss from his injury will be his leadership, not his on-field production. This doesn't affect our super bowl aspirations. We'll be okay Cowboy Nation.

 

[Manster68]

Oh my gosh, they've got five corners better than the infinitely overrated Larry Brown.

First of all, I would like to know how a 12th round draft pick can be overrated?
Secondly, Larry Brown made big plays in big games.
- the INT in Philly in 1991
- the INT in Super Bowl XXVII (any SB INT is huge)
- the INT that turned back Brett Favre along the sidelines and giving Emmit the ball back to put the game away
- then there is a Super Bowl XXX MVP

Yes, this 12th round pick Larry Brown kept rookie 1st round pick Kevin Smith on the bench for half of the 1992 season (and then he replaced Isaac Holt and not Brown).
Larry Brown is not overrated.

 

[jrumann59]

Who is Larry Brown? The who was gift wrapped two INT's from Neil O'Donnell? The MVP should have been Neil that game!

He also had 6 Ints during the season in era where 30 passes in a game were rare

 

[jrumann59]

The only people that had Larry Brown overrated were the raiders that paid him to be #1 corner, and actually believed him to be better than Sanders.