Cowboys go with co-starters at right cornerback
Tim MacMahon, Blogger, Dallas Morning News

The Cowboys won’t declare a winner in the competition between cornerbacks Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick. It’s a draw at this point. The competition will continue during the regular season.

As originally reported by CBS 11’s Steve Dennis, the coaches have decided that the second-year corners will split time and alternate starts at the beginning of the season.

Jenkins, a Tampa Bay native who played home games in Raymond James Stadium at South Florida, will start the season opener against the Buccaneers. Scandrick will start the home opener the next week against the Giants.

Wade Phillips has consistently praised Jenkins and Scandrick, stating repeatedly that both players appeared ready to be NFL starters. Phillips also mentioned several times that the Cowboys needed both young cornerbacks to perform well for the defense to play up to its potential.

With this plan, Jenkins and Scandrick will both play in the range of 70 percent of the defensive snaps unless/until one proves to be a significantly better player. It’s a sensible solution to a nice problem: having two capable starters at one spot.

Scandrick emerges as dependable Dallas Cowboys cornerback
Column by TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News |

ARLINGTON ­ Not long after last year’s draft, Wade Phillips was talking with SMU coach June Jones.

“Do you know who the best guy in your draft is?” Jones asked Phillips.

Phillips thought Jones would say Felix Jones or Mike Jenkins, the Cowboys’ first-round picks, or maybe second-rounder Martellus Bennett.

“Scandrick,” Jones told Phillips. “I stood on the field watching him play against us, and he’s some player.”

At the time Phillips wasn’t sure what to make of the assessment made by Jones, who coached against Boise State’s Orlando Scandrick while at Hawaii. After all, Scandrick was a fifth-round pick, and the Cowboys felt really good about their first four selections.

Scandrick, whom the Cowboys rated as a third-round pick entering the 2008 draft, proved to be the most consistent pick last season.

Felix Jones’ rookie season was cut short by injury. Jenkins had some good and bad moments too. It took Bennett time to learn the tight end position. And Tashard Choice, the fourth-round pick, really didn’t play until December.

Scandrick, looking to become the starter opposite Terence Newman, will make his second start of this preseason Saturday night against San Francisco. Since his first rookie minicamp of 2008, he has shown himself to be confident.

“You have to be,” Scandrick said. “What am I supposed to do, walk around here not believing? It goes back to taking a spelling test in the third grade. If you don’t think you know the words, you’re not going to get it.”

There is an air about Scandrick that all of the top cornerbacks have. He walks with a swagger, talks with conviction and plays with arrogance.

In one training camp practice the offense continued to test him on out routes. He knocked away the first attempt and shook his head as he went back to his position. After the second attempt, he yelled back to the offense, “I told you don’t try that over here!” with near disgust in his voice.

“I’ve been around guys that felt like they were pretty good coming out and have that feeling they can do whatever they’re asked to do,” secondary coach Dave Campo said. “I wouldn’t say he’s the only one, but I would say he’s very confident in what he can do.”

Scandrick played in every game as a rookie with three starts. He was credited by the coaches with 36 tackles, broke up five passes (but didn’t have an interception) and had a sack.

He credits Campo for his success.

“He’s a great teacher,” Scandrick said. “You can talk to him. He’s open to listening. If he makes a mistake, he’ll tell you. He’s not one of those coaches who tells you he does everything right and knows everything.

“Me and Campo know each other. We’re similar in a way that when I mess up, nine out of 10 times he doesn’t have to say one word to me and I know what I did wrong.”

What impressed Phillips and Campo most in 2008 was Scandrick’s ability to dissect everything around him. He had an awareness of his surroundings that most young players do not have, particularly fifth-rounders.

Scandrick carries with him a considerable chip on his shoulder over the fifth-round tag. It reminds Campo of what he saw in Jacksonville with Maurice Jones-Drew. Undersized but productive, Jones-Drew was upset he had to wait for the second round to hear his name and has developed into a featured back.

Scandrick had to wait even longer to hear his name.

“I’m not sure, if you’re really a true competitor and you have confidence in what you can do, that that leaves you,” Campo said. “I think he’s got that kind of mentality. He thinks he’s the best at what he does and at whatever it is. That’s probably a good thing.”

As we head into Sunday’s practices, I started jotting down some names that have stood out to me since training camp started in San Antonio.

I’m not going to list the obvious playmakers like Ware, Ratliff, James, Witten, Romo and others…those guys must play well.

Here are five players or groups that have caught my attention—knowing as I’ve said before, you have to be very careful not to “reach” with an opinion about a player during training camp or even the pre-season.

(In no particular order)

1) Martellus Bennett, the Cowboys are lining up in what appears to be more double tight end formations, whether one tight end and an H-Back, but Witten and Bennett are a difficult twosome to handle and the Cowboys need to find ways to keep a constant double-team off Witten. Of course, the running game and wide receivers will have something to say about that too.

2) Orlando Scandrick/Mike Jenkins, there’s a lot of talk about who will be the other starting cornerback opposite Terence Newman. Well, these two are going to make that a difficult decision, but—all three will be on the field a lot. I think the coaches would like to see Jenkins win the battle for the second corner for obvious reasons, including Jenkins being a first-round pick and the money invested. But Scandrick is just a player with a constant chip on his shoulder.

3) RB by committee, I know Barber has been to a pro bowl, and Felix Jones is the people’s choice with his speed, but Tashard Choice just makes plays and is going 100% against other players or against air. Jones is so cat quick and there’s one specific play that he always seem to make big yardage, a counter to the right side with most all movement to the left. It’s like he’s 5-yards downfield before anyone can react. If he remains healthy, I think he’ll score on that play a couple of times. Barber is lighter, quicker, and probably healthier. He took a beating last season, and I’m sure he wants a bounce back season as much as anyone else. Those two, along with Choice gives the Cowboys a three-headed running back monster. It’s a position that will takes bumps and bruises, so you can never have too many good one’s.

4) Gerald Sensabaugh: There appears to be a confidence in the back part of the secondary that hasn’t been there in quite some time. I always thought OU-Roy took the bad rap too many times—but Sensabaugh seems to flow to the ball when it’s in the air…he’s fluid when the ball is in the air and should solidify an obvious concern in the Cowboys secondary. He’s also physical enough to play against the run when necessary.

5) Personality. I’ve been asked about this many times this week, but there is something different about this team. I don’t know if it leads to more or less wins, but other than the regular 2-3 “diva’s,” this team has a bunch of guys who just want to practice and play the game.

Again, I don’t think this team is as talented as in the past year or two, but we saw what that did in December.

The Cowboys rid themselves of those who talked more than they played, and I can’t help but think that’s a good thing.

I don’t know of one question I’ve asked or others have asked that’s been about something other than football.

Well, unless you had to listen to Jerry’s 28-minute barrage on the “party-pass” promotion.

David Smoak