Releasing Orlando Scandrick was a surprising choice by the Washington Redskins. That said, the fact that the team is putting their trust in young players is excellent, and it should create a very intriguing position/roster battle in the final three weeks of the preseason. Many expected that Orlando Scandrick would be a starter or top backup for the Redskins in the upcoming season. While he wasn’t expected to be a major difference maker, Scandrick was providing proven depth at a position of need. He would become expendable if the young depth stepped up, but at the time of his signing, that wasn’t a guarantee. However, it appears that he certainly was overtaken, as the team cut him on Monday afternoon. Depending on who you talk to, this was either a good move or a bad move. That said, the decision was made and now the team will roll with what they have moving into the upcoming season. With Scandrick gone, it seems highly likely that Quinton Dunbar will be the starter at the No. 2 corner position. Meanwhile, second-year man Fabian Moreau will slot into the slot (see what I did there?). These two guys should fare well in their new roles, and there is reason to be excited about the Redskins young secondary. Behind the starters, there are more questions. There are likely three backup spots to be had, and there are three rookies and two second-year men fighting for the roles. Here’s a look at the top candidates available and who will have a chance to make the roster.<doc-sep>Orlando Scandrick is back on the streets for the second time in only five months. Following a season wherein the veteran cornerback again suffered availability issues due to injury, Scandrick continues to see himself as a starter in the NFL -- a point that skewed from the Dallas Cowboys' plans going forward. With the emergence of rookie cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis along with the coming move of Byron Jones to the position full-time, the future looked expectedly bleak for Scandrick with the Cowboys. And so it was, Scandrick requested for his release from the team, convinced he could latch on somewhere else and prove himself. He'd immediately sign a two-year deal with the rival Washington Redskins, having taken calls from no other organization (it would seem), and began the task of rebuilding himself anew. That was the plan, at least. The Redskins aren't impressed though and following only one preseason game, they've reportedly decided to release the 31-year-old, being more pleased with their younger stable of corners than Scandrick -- according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. This strikes painfully close to home following how things ultimately ended in Dallas and what's worse is the Redskins were also reportedly shopping him for a trade, but found zero takers. "It has nothing to do with his play," said head coach Jay Gruden of the release, via Kimberly A. Martin of The Washington Post. "It was really the emergence of the rookies and wanted Orlando to latch on to another team. ...No one could have predicted Texada or Danny Johnson." Scandrick was originally set to earn $8.2 million (including signing bonuses) over the final two years of his contract with the Cowboys, and would've hit the Dallas' salary cap for $5.3 million and $5.6 million, respectively. Those were hefty figures for a player who has never started 16 regular season outings in his 10-year NFL career, having now missed 29 games (projecting for Week 17 of this season as well) over the past four years with a myriad of injuries. This was made to look that much worse by the fact the Cowboys awarded him with a five-year, $19 million extension in the offseason following 2014 -- to see him often sidelined and when healthy, amassing only 11 pass break ups, two sacks and one interception. He did well in 2016 in forcing three fumbles, but didn't deliver a single one in 2017, the first time since 2012 he's failed to do so. He'll now try yet again to find another NFL home and although the Cowboys wouldn't mind some depth at the CB position, that bridge is likely burned and you can still smell the gasoline on Scandrick's hands. Plus, it'd be difficult to imagine he'd want to be the team's fifth-stringer. He'll walk away from Washington with his $1 million signing bonus in pocket.<doc-sep>
Earlier this offseason, the Washington Redskins pounced on veteran cornerback Orlando Scandrick after he was released by the division rival Dallas Cowboys. Washington had traded Kendall Fuller to the Chiefs in the Alex Smith deal, and so had an opening at corner, so the fit made sense. It made so much sense to Washington that the team gave Scandrick a $1 million signing bonus on a two-year deal worth up to $10 million. That $1 million signing bonus, though, was the only guaranteed money in the deal, and after today, it's the only money Scandrick will get from Washington. The team decided to release Scandrick on Tuesday, according to multiple reports later confirmed by coach Jay Gruden. CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reports that Washington had been looking to trade Scandrick in recent days, but after no deal came together, decided to release him instead so he could catch on with a new team. Echoing La Canfora's report that the team likes its depth on the back end, Gruden told reports on Tuesday that Scandrick's release has nothing to do with his own play, and is instead related to the strong training camps of undrafted free agents Ranthony Texada and Danny Johnson. While some might speculate that Scandrick could return to the only team he had ever known before signing with Washington, Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News cautions against that. The Cowboys are comfortable with their youth at the position as well. Teams can always use more defensive backs these days, and especially those comfortable playing in the slot, as Scandrick has done for much of his career. He should catch on somewhere, but it will likely be on a one-year, prove-it type deal that doesn't guarantee him a lot of money or playing time.