FRISCO, Texas – Orlando Scandrick's 10-year stay with the Cowboys has ended.
The club officially parted ways with the veteran cornerback Saturday with two years remaining on his contract. By designating Scandrick a post-June 1 release, the Cowboys will get $3 million in salary cap space after June 1 and his $600,000 signing bonus proration will go into next year's cap.
Scandrick reportedly requested his release before the free agency opened, but the Cowboys did not immediately accommodate him at the start of the new league year. As a vested veteran, he is now able to sign with any team.
Scandrick, a 2008 fifth-round pick, has been a dependable cornerback outside and in the slot. He missed the 2015 season with a torn ACL and has battled injuries the last two years, including a transverse process fracture in his back that sidelined him for the final three games in 2017.
In December, as the Cowboys went with a youth movement in the secondary, Scandrick indicated he might not be back in 2018.
"The young players here, Jourdan (Lewis), Chido (Awuzie), A.B. (Anthony Brown), Xavier (Woods), Byron (Jones), Jeff (Heath), they're playing well together right now," he said. "They're going to continue to grow and continue to get better, and I'm not at the point in my career where I'm willing to just be an inactive guy or a guy that's not a part of what's going on and can't help the team win."
The Cowboys invested draft picks in Awuzie, Lewis and Woods last year and are eyeing a position switch for Byron Jones back to corner. The $3 million in cap space they'll gain from Scandrick's release presumably helps them sign their draft class in June.
The 31-year-old Scandrick has 406 career tackles, 11.5 sacks, 8 interceptions and 63 pass breakups.
