Orlando Scandrick, mere hours after being relegated to nickel duties, in effect losing the cornerback battle to Mike Jenkins, did his best to mask the disappointment; but, speaking to reporters outside of his locker before a Wednesday afternoon practice, his efforts proved to be in vain.
The second-year corner's body language told a story in contrast to his--for the most part--politically correct, forward-thinking responses, as he spoke of the future.
"It was kind of an accomplishment for a coach to say that both of us were playing well enough to be a starter," Scandrick said, yesterday. "Some of these guys have been playing in the NFL a long time and they know the game, the game starts to come with you. This is only my second season. Yeah I've flashed some promising moments, but I've got to be more consistent and do that on a consistent basis."
Even in speaking of the transition, Scandrick remained positive, at least verbally, speaking in low tones about the betterment of the team and the promise of youth; these "low tones" wouldn't remain for long.
"Corner is tough and to play nickel, I mean, it's a role that I'm going to embrace but I'm not going to say I'm satisfied," Scandrick continued. "I just need to keep working. It's all about timing and whether my time is now or if that time is a couple years from now, when I get a chance, I'm going to be ready."
The company line ran out though, when a reporter questioned why Scandrick would 'no-comment' a question about the importance of his new--and old--role as nickel. This was Scandrick's third NC of the session, and he's never been shy to express his perceptions of the media as a sinister entity--which, paired with the fact that he had just received some bad news, probably explains this exhibition of contentiousness, with which Scandrick ended:
"I just told you I embraced my role," Scandrick said. "I mean, every role is important on this team whether you're the kicker, whether you're on special teams, whether you're a holder. You're making it into a bigger thing, you guys want to get a reaction out of me."
