Report: Orlando Scandrick suspended for first four games of 2014

Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Cowboys were not exactly in a position to absorb a loss to their defensive secondary. Unfortunately for them, that is exactly the situation they will be dealing with when they start the 2014 season.

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According to Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones, cornerback Orlando Scandrick has been suspended for the first four games of the upcoming season.

There was a certain measure of uncertainty in the moments following that announcement, but then Jay Glazer spoke to Scandrick, who said the suspension is a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. Tim MacMahon passed along the initial announcement.

According to Glazer, Scandrick took something while on a trip to Mexico that triggered a positive test for something on the NFL’s banned list.

Glazer followed that initial report up with the following tidbits.

Not so sure that Glazer is spot on about the NFL and its “extremely low” tolerance for “anything,” even if he has restricted these comments specifically to banned substances.

Scandrick is coming off a solid 2013 season on a defense that was otherwise a sketchy unit. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he was the 38th best corner in the NFL overall last season. The Cowboys will do their best to survive the opening weeks of the season without him on a unit that does not exactly look formidable to begin with.