As Drew Pearson exclaimed Chidobe Awuzie’s name and announced the Dallas Cowboys’ second round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the future of Orlando Scandrick immediately came into question.
The veteran corner has been a member of the Cowboys since 2008, but after some injury history and turning 30, the Cowboys were forced to look in another direction.
Before Pearson could even get the last syllable of “Awuzie” out of his mouth, reports that Dallas was looking to move Scandrick for another draft pick were off and running. And, in the minds of some, these efforts came with good reason.
Awuzie possesses many of the same skills a younger Scandrick did. With the ability to move around the secondary and play/blitz effectively from the slot, Awuzie is expected to directly challenge for Orlando Scandrick’s job during training camp.
Spolier alert, Scandrick isn’t scared.
.@OScandrick32 – 'I accept the challenge … I’m not going to give anybody my job. The time is now. My time is now.' @1053thefan
— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) June 13, 2017
Orlando Scandrick told longtime Cowboys reporter Mike Fisher that he’s accepting this challenge, and will not be simply giving anyone his job on this roster.
I love this quote from Scandrick, and think it speaks to his character and mentality as a player. Orlando Scandrick has been a dog ever since entering the league, going from 5th round pick to effective starter on the very same team which drafted him.
Many may think that time has passed Scandrick by, and the time to move on from him has come, but I am happy to see that Orlando is not simply gifting his slot on the depth chart to the younger guys.
Competition makes everyone better, and forcing rookies like Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis to work their way up their ladder will only make the Cowboys secondary even greater as a whole.
I love Scandrick and I hope the Cowboys go long in the CB group. I’d like them to see keep White as well. If they only keep five, then White will be the main competition for Scandrick’s spot on the roster. Awuzie would slide into Scandrick’s spot on the field though.
They might have to carry 6 cbs if they dont release Carroll. Remember Awuzie can play safety too, you might go with 6 cbs and 4 safeties