How Orlando Scandrick's Return Will Impact Cowboys Defense

For months—even years—it has felt as though the Dallas Cowboys are cursed on defense. So many losses, so many injuries, so many touchdowns surrendered.

However, the Cowboys have already been overachieving on that side of the ball early this season. Now it appears Lady Luck is doing them their first favor since the Wade Phillips era.

NFL.com's Dan Hanzus is reporting that an update to the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances will allow top cornerback Orlando Scandrick to return from his suspension two weeks earlier than originally expected.

What this means is that for the first since, I don't know, 2007, the Cowboys can actually consider themselves deep at the cornerback position.

Sure, 2012 top pick Morris Claiborne has failed to step up in a significant way in Scandrick's stead.

He still looks lost far too often and appears to be lacking confidence, as evidenced by an unnecessary defensive pass interference penalty on a play where he wasn't even beat by Michael Crabtree in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers:

Credit: NFL Game Pass

He also gave chain-mover extraordinaire Anquan Boldin a comical amount of pad on a 3rd-and-4 later in that game:

Credit: NFL Game Pass

Nevertheless, Claiborne still has a ton of natural talent and has made at least some progress, with only four catches allowed (subscription required) on seven targets through two weeks.

With Scandrick back and presumed fourth corner Sterling Moore performing very well, the Cowboys can afford to move Claiborne into a role that won't require him to face elite receivers at any point, which could help him excel.

Nickel guys get plenty of tough reps nowadays, but the presence of both Scandrick and Moore means Claiborne can take his time in low-pressure spots.

That's not to say that Claiborne becomes the fourth corner, but there's some flexibility there. The Cowboys need to develop a nastier attitude on defense, and that's not something Claiborne has been able to bring to the table. He isn't a good tackler and doesn't have a mean streak.

In addition to being the team's best cover corner, Scandrick is a scrappy playmaker who brings some much-needed swagger to that unit.

"You’re talking about a guy who can blitz, cover and he actually has a real good motor on the field and has a knack for making plays," defensive end Jeremy Mincey told reporters.

Mincey knows that Scandrick could help boost a pass rush that has just three sacks this season and is desperate for help with Anthony Spencer still out and DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher long gone.

Scandrick blitzed the quarterback 26 times (subscription required) last year—no other defensive back on the roster did so on more than 13 occasions—picking up two sacks, five pressures and a forced fumble.

Credit: NFL Game Pass

Credit: NFL Game Pass

Moore is a sure tackler who can also make big plays at or near the line of scrimmage. He proved that with two nice stops on Sunday in Tennessee:

Credit: NFL Game Pass

Credit: NFL Game Pass

Last season, Scandrick graded out as the 15th-best (subscription required) cornerback in the league in coverage, and he had stellar performances against Pro Bowl receivers like DeSean Jackson and Victor Cruz.

He and Brandon Carr—who is coming off a superb game (subscription required) in which he allowed just one nine-yard catch on seven targets—can handle the opposition's major weapons.

Meanwhile, Claiborne has yet to prove he can stick with anybody on a consistent basis, and he certainly hasn't been able to shake durability concerns. The guy is constantly dealing with injuries. Therefore, don't be surprised if he becomes nothing more than an insurance policy.

If he isn't being used heavily anyway, defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli won't be forced to shake things up when that next injury inevitably takes place. 

ESPNDallas.com's Jean-Jacques Taylor also wonders if the return of Scandrick and the presence of Moore could push Claiborne into a peripheral role:

"

Sterling Moore is the kind of NFL player who’s not quite big enough, fast enough or quick enough to excite the coaching staff. But every time they have to use him, he does a pretty solid job. Jason Garrett wants us to believe it doesn’t matter where you came from or where you were drafted. Well, when Orlando Scandrick returns this week, it’ll be interesting to see how much they use Scandrick on the outside and Moore in the slot, while Claiborne heads to the bench when the Cowboys are in their nickel defense.

"

According to ESPN.com's Todd Archer, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett has said he's yet to make a decision regarding what to do with Scandrick—and by extension, his entire cornerback corps—this week in St. Louis.

The good news is we're talking about the Rams.

But Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints loom in Week 4, and the Cowboys are holding out hope that a defense that somehow ranks in the top 12 in terms of points and yards allowed can hold up there and beyond.

The trickle-down effect that comes with reintroducing Scandrick could facilitate that, especially if Dallas is willing to further marginalize a recent first-round pick.

Advanced statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFC East for Bleacher Report since 2012.

Follow @Brad_Gagnon