Orlando Scandrick Contract Details
- Orlando Scandrick‘s one-year deal with the Chiefs contains a base salary of $915K and includes up to $500K in per-game roster bonuses, reports Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Scandrick had already collected $1MM in guarantees from the Redskins, who signed the veteran defensive back in March before releasing him earlier this month. Now that Steven Nelson has returned to Chiefs practice, Scandrick is competing with David Amerson for Kansas City’s third corner role.
Chiefs Acquire S Jordan Lucas From Dolphins
The Chiefs have acquired safety Jordan Lucas from the Dolphins in exchange for an undisclosed draft pick, both clubs announced. Kansas City will send a 2020 seventh-round pick to Miami in exchange for Lucas, tweets Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo Sports.
Kansas City is in desperate need of help in its defensive backfield, as Eric Berry is recovering from a torn Achilles while dealing with another injury. Daniel Sorensen, too, is expected to miss time after suffering a tibial plateau fracture. Eric Murray, Armani Watts, and Leon McQuay represent the other options on the Chiefs’ roster.
Lucas, 25, was a sixth-round draft choice in 2016. While he’ll give Kansas City depth in the secondary, Lucas’ primary role with Miami was on special teams. He played 261 special teams with the Dolphins over the past two seasons, while he saw action on only 25 defensive plays (all in 2017).
Lucas is scheduled to earn $630K for the 2018 campaign. The Chiefs will now inherit that salary, and the Dolphins won’t take on any dead money due to the trade. Lucas will be a restricted free agent next spring.
Chiefs Trade OL Parker Ehinger To Cowboys
We learned earlier tonight that the Cowboys were trading cornerback Charvarius Ward to the Chiefs, and now we’re getting details on what they’ll be getting in return. ESPN’s Adam Teicher reports that Kansas City will be sending offensive lineman Parker Ehinger to Dallas.
The 2016 fourth-round pick out of Cincinnati had difficulties staying on the field during his tenure with the Chiefs. He did start four of his five games as a rookie, but a knee injury ended his season prematurely. In 2017, Ehinger was limited to only one game (one start), but the Chiefs apparently had optimism that he’d be able to start at left guard this year.
However, the lineman was benched for Cam Erving during training camp, and Kansas City apparently decided that they were fine rolling with their current backups. That grouping includes Andrew Wylie, Bryan Witzmann, Jordan Devey and rookies Ryan Hunter and Kahlil McKenzie.
The 25-year-old will now try to crack the Cowboys roster, which is currently dealing with injuries to Marcus Martin and Travis Frederick. The six-foot-six, 310-pound Ehinger will presumably compete with Cameron Fleming, Chaz Green, Joe Looney, and Kadeem Edwards for backup reps.
Cowboys Trade CB Charvarius Ward To Chiefs
Charvarius Ward is heading to Kansas City. ESPN’s Todd Archer reports (via Twitter) that the Cowboys are trading the rookie cornerback to the Chiefs. The deal is expected to be finalized on Friday.
Ward had a standout collegiate career at Middle Tennessee State, compiling 74 tackles, two interceptions and 13 passes defended over the past two seasons. After going undrafted during this past year’s draft, he ended up catching on with the Cowboys.
The organization gave the rookie a chance to show his talent, as Ward ended up playing in 58 snaps through three games this preseason. The six-foot-one, 201-pound cornerback compiled seven tackles and a pair of passes defended during those outings.
As ESPN’s Adam Teicher tweets, the move is unlikely to shake up the Chiefs’ depth chart. Ward will likely slide into the team’s sixth and final cornerback spot behind Kendall Fuller, Steven Nelson, Orlando Scandrick, David Amerson, and Tremon Smith. This means Keith Reaser, Will Redmond and Makinton Dorleant are either competing for a final roster spot or at risk of being cut.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys cornerback depth chart seems to be solidified with Byron Jones, Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, Anthony Brown, Duke Thomas, and Marquez White.
Former Browns TE Randall Telfer Retires
Randall Telfer is calling it a career. On Friday, the free agent tight end announced his retirement via Twitter.
Telfer, 26, was a sixth-round pick of the Browns in 2015. After losing his would-be rookie season to injury, he appeared in 30 games for the Browns over the next two years, but recorded only 40 yards in total.
Telfer may be best known to PFR readers for the 2018 offseason trade that should have sent him from Cleveland to Kansas City. Unfortunately, Telfer failed his physical with the Chiefs, meaning that linebacker Dadi Nicolas was never shipped to the Browns (In case you were wondering, Nicolas is now pushing to make the Redskins’ final cut.)
Chiefs Release RB Charcandrick West
The Chiefs have released running back Charcandrick West, according to a team announcement. West missed most of camp because of a concussion, so the move does not come as a shock. 
West battled with Spencer Ware for the team’s backup role behind Kareem Hunt this summer. He didn’t see a ton of playing time last year, but he led the Chiefs in rushing in 2015, so the team was hopeful about what he could do in camp.
West had one year to go on the three-year, $4.2MM contract he inked in 2016. In 2018, he was slated to count for $2.036MM against the cap, but the Chiefs will save $1.7MM by cutting him with just $333K left in dead money.
Last year, West carried the ball just 18 times for 72 yards. He was more involved in the passing game, however, with 27 catches for 150 yards. West’s best season came in 2015 when he filled in for an injured Jamaal Charles and averaged 4.0 yards per carry.
Chiefs Sign Orlando Scandrick
After meeting with him last Tuesday, the Chiefs have signed cornerback Orlando Scandrick, as the team officially announced this morning. ESPN’s Field Yates was the first to report (Twitter link) that Kansas City was set to sign Scandrick, and Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweets that it will be a one-year, $1.5MM deal for the veteran DB.
Scandrick, who spent the first 10 years of his professional career with the Cowboys after Dallas selected him in the fifth round of the 2008 draft, signed a two-year pact with the Redskins back in March. Washington, however, made the somewhat surprising move to cut Scandrick last week, putting him back on the open market.
Although Pro Football Focus painted Scandrick as one of the 15 worst qualified cornerbacks in the NFL in 2017 — and the advanced metrics have not been kind to him since 2014 — Redskins head coach Jay Gruden indicated that the Boise State product was not released because of poor performance during his brief time in Washington. Gruden said, “It has nothing to do with his play. It was really the emergence of the rookies and [we] wanted Orlando to latch on to another team.”
Financially, Scandrick’s release has not worked out well for him. His two-year deal with the Redskins was worth $7MM and could have climbed to $9-10MM if he had hit certain incentives, but he collected only his $1MM signing bonus with Washington before being let go and will earn just $1.5MM with Kansas City this year.
Nonetheless, Scandrick should see a fair amount of playing time. The Chiefs project to use newcomers Kendall Fuller and David Amerson as their top corners, but Scandrick will otherwise be battling for snaps with players like Steven Nelson and Will Redmond.
Kansas City was one of the clubs in the market for Bashaud Breeland, but the Scandrick acquisition likely means that Breeland will not be signing with the Chiefs.
Extra Points: Bengals, Lewis, Eagles, Foles, Chiefs, AAF
The Bengals are counting on some new coaching roles making a major difference this season. Marvin Lewis survived another year on the hot seat but knew he would need to rearrange his staff after another disappointing season. Teryl Austin will succeed now-Raiders DC Paul Guenther in running Cincinnati’s defense, and Lewis made Bill Lazor the full-time OC. The team jettisoned longtime offensive line coach Paul Alexander as well, with other new staffers coming in to help a team that’s fallen in the AFC hierarchy the past two years.
“I made up my mind I wanted to coach,” Lewis said, via Jonathan Jones of SI.com. “So, do I want to go start over somewhere where I don’t know the people or coach these group of guys downstairs that no one else has? That’s an easy decision. You look at what’s open and these are the best players. And that’s what you want.
“I knew we were going to have a lot of change on the coaching staff. I knew I had to make changes and those are the things that (owner) Mike (Brown) and I had to discuss. I had to make changes on people that had been with me for a long time and had been friends, and it’s difficult.”
Lewis added that he didn’t want to make wholesale roster changes, pointing out the number of Pro Bowlers still on the team, but the Bengals aren’t receiving much attention as a contender this season. They’re hoping these staff moves can re-route them back to the AFC playoffs.
Here’s the latest from the football landscape:
- The Eagles received a scare Thursday night when Super Bowl MVP and temporary starting quarterback Nick Foles went down with a shoulder injury. The shoulder sprain Foles suffered is believed to be a minor malady and not one that will require a significant rehab effort, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. It’s looking like it will come down to the wire on whom the defending Super Bowl champions will start at quarterback on opening night, with Carson Wentz unlikely to play in the preseason. The Eagles not having Foles would throw a major wrench in their plans, despite third-stringer Nate Sudfeld having a nice offseason.
- Steven Nelson will be a full-time outside cornerback this season, Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star notes. This change emerged in the offseason, one that featured breakout slot man Kendall Fuller’s arrival, but the Chiefs are evidently committed to trying Nelson – their most frequent slot corner over the past two seasons – as an outside man. The 2015 third-round pick is entering a contract year. While Kansas City has looked at other corners this month – Bashaud Breeland and Orlando Scandrick – the trio of Fuller, Nelson and David Amerson remains atop the depth chart. Nelson did leave the Chiefs’ game Friday night with a head injury, however.
- Former Jets second-round pick Stephen Hill and ex-Titans backup quarterback Zach Mettenberger are two of the notable new names signed on to play for the Alliance of American Football. The AAF announced 100 more players will join. Ex-Rams running back Daryl Richardson, former Saints and Jets ball carrier Khiry Robinson, linebacker Deontae Skinner and running back Storm Johnson are among the new contingent. Former Giants and Ravens safety Will Hill and veteran kicker Nick Novak, who was with the Chargers last season, were among the first wave to sign.
Chiefs Release Robert Golden
The Chiefs released safety Robert Golden today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). 
Golden’s agent told Rapoport that the release was at Golden’s request. He also said Golden “didn’t feel like he was getting the opportunity to contribute the way he wanted to.” Golden signed a one-year deal with the team back in April.
Golden came into the league as an undrafted free agent with the Steelers back in 2012, and spent the first six years of his career in Pittsburgh. Across 92 games with the Steelers, he racked up 125 tackles, seven passes defended, and two interceptions.
Golden appeared to break the news himself, tweeting earlier that he was “no longer a Kansas City Chief”. Golden’s agent added that “he’s hoping to catch on with another team soon” although it will be difficult for him to make a team this late in camp.
Chiefs To Meet With Orlando Scandrick
Orlando Scandrick hasn’t been a free agent for long, but he’s already drawing interest. The cornerback will fly to meet with the Chiefs on Tuesday night, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
[RELATED: Redskins Release Orlando Scandrick]
The Redskins cut Scandrick on Tuesday morning, a surprising move since he inked a lucrative free agent deal with them just five months ago. For what it’s worth, head coach Jay Gruden claims the decision was not tied to the veteran’s performance.
“It has nothing to do with his play. It was really the emergence of the rookies and [we] wanted Orlando to latch on to another team,” Gruden said “No one could have predicted [the emergence of] [Ranthony] Texada or Danny Johnson.”
In his final year with the Cowboys, Scandrick graded out as one of the 15 worst qualified cornerbacks in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. The advanced metrics have not been high on him since 2014, but he did have an okay showing in his injury-shortened 2016 campaign.
The Chiefs have been in the market for cornerback support, as evidenced by their recent meeting with Bashaud Breeland. Breeland is probably KC’s preferred option, but with several teams in the mix for him, they may have to settle for another former Redskin.
The Chiefs project to use newcomers Kendall Fuller and David Amerson as their top corners with Steven Nelson and Will Redmond among those in the rotation.