Orlando Scandrick, Cowboys Reach Deal

9:08am: Per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link), Scandrick will get $4MM fully guaranteed this year, and his 2016 salary will be bumped from $3MM to $5MM.

9:02am: It’s a one-year, $9.5MM extension for Scandrick, keeping him locked up through 2019, according to Rapoport (via Twitter). It sounds like the cornerback’s salaries for the next four years will be unchanged, though his cap numbers still figure to increase a little, depending on the size of the signing bonus in the deal.

8:44am: The Cowboys and cornerback Orlando Scandrick have reached an agreement on a new contract extension, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). According to Rapoport (Twitter link), Scandrick will sign the new deal later today.Orlando Scandrick

Scandrick still had four years remaining on his previous contract, but wasn’t happy with the terms of that deal, which called for him to make just $1.5MM in base salary in 2015. After initially not reporting to the Cowboys’ voluntary offseason workouts, the 28-year-old showed up in Dallas earlier this month as a sign of good faith as the two sides negotiated a new contract.

Scandrick ranked as the 10th-best cornerback in the NFL in 2014 out of 108 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). According to PFF’s data, quarterbacks completed 74.3% of their passes into Scandrick’s coverage, but those completions averaged just 9.9 yards, and the Cowboys’ corner didn’t allow a touchdown in his 14 games. For the year, he recorded 63 tackles and grabbed a pair of interceptions.

While Scandrick was the Cowboys’ top corner in 2014, his salary for 2015 wasn’t worth nearly as much as Brandon Carr‘s $8MM figure, and wasn’t fully guaranteed like Morris Claiborne‘s salary, so it makes sense that he was seeking a new deal.

On his old contract, Scandrick’s cap numbers for the next few seasons were just $4.351MM (2015), $5.251MM (2016), $3.75MM (2017), and $3.75MM (2018). Those numbers – particularly the last couple – figure to rise now that the two sides have worked out a new arrangement, and it’s worth keeping an eye on whether the Cowboys will ask Carr to take a pay cut to help accommodate Scandrick’s raise.

The Cowboys’ cornerback depth chart may be on the verge of undergoing some changes within the next year or so. Carr’s future with Dallas could hinge on his willingness to reduce his salary, while Claiborne’s fifth-year option for 2016 wasn’t picked up by the team earlier this month. The club also used its first-round pick this year on a cornerback, selecting Byron Jones with the 27th overall pick. No matter how the rest of the depth chart shakes out though, Scandrick’s new contract should ensure that he’s locked into one of the Cowboys’ starting spots for the foreseeable future.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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