Eagles Debut Behind Him, Orlando Scandrick Focusing on Carving Niche

The Veteran Cornerback Never Thought his Career was Over After Eagles Released him at End of Training Camp

After coming off one of the more successful debuts by an Eagles player in recent memory, veteran cornerback Orlando Scandrick isn’t about to go to sleep on his laurels.

“My whole goal is to just continue to make plays, continue to execute my assignment, and the ultimate goal is to carve in a permanent role on this defense,” said Scandrick as the Eagles prepare to the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday (1 p.m./FOX).

Scandrick stepped up in a big moment on Sunday against the New York Jets, recording two strip sack fumbles, returning one of them 44 yards for a touchdown in a 31-6 win. He played 35 snaps, a rather high total considering Scandrick spent the first month of the season staying in shape as best he could while spending time with his family at his Los Angeles home after being released by the Eagles a week before the start of the regular season.

When the Eagles signed him just days before the game against the Jets, Scandrick had to stay in a hotel because he had nowhere else to go. He spent that time, he said, studying the playbook.

“He is a savvy guy; smart football player; he's been around,” said Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. “It was more scheme than just trying to accentuate what he's good at because he did a good job in coverage in that game also, and I thought tackled pretty well for us also.”

It’s too early to look ahead to the Dallas Cowboys, a team the Eagles play a week after visiting Minnesota this weekend, so Scandrick is simply eyeing what is in front of him – and that is a Vikings passing game that has two premier receivers in Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs.

It’s a good to stay focused on that old cliché of one game at a time because, at 32, it is an age that one ever knows when his next game will be his last game.

“It’s always a matter of being consistent in the league,” said Scandrick, who did not practice on Wednesday due to an illness. “That’s what this league is about. It’s a week to week business. It’s just doing whatever’s called upon me.”

What was asked of Scandrick against the Jets was to blitz from his nickel cornerback spot. It is a role he has done well in during his previous 11 seasons in the league, 10 of which came with the Cowboys.

Scandrick’s two sacks gives him 13.5 in his career.

“He (Schwartz) is probably one of the greatest defensive minds I’ve been around,” said Scandrick. “He really called a phenomenal game. He plays to his strengths.

“Just watching him over the years and being on the opposite sideline playing against the Eagles, the really get after the quarterback whether it’s a four man rush, whether it’s a seven man pressure, whether it’s a five man pressure, credit to him. He came to me on the sideline and said I’m going to keep calling it so keep getting ready to go.”

During Scandrick’s month away, he never thought his career was over.

“This is my 12th year,” sad Scandrick. “Negative things don’t motivate me. It’s just about knowing I can still be productive, knowing I still got the talent to be a good player in this league. I just went through a little rough patch there with injuries, and I think that started to become the perception. I think the onus now to prove that I can still play.”

Scandrick showed he can against the Jets, but on a team that has suffered injuries to cornerback Ronald Darby, Avonte Maddox and Sidney Jones, proving that he can still play can’t stop now.