Orlando Scandrick's days as a Dallas Cowboy could be numbered

No decision has officially been made because it is unnecessary to do so at this point.

But cornerback Orlando Scandrick is likely on his way out of Dallas.

It’s what Scandrick wants, which he made clear at the end of the 2017 season.

The Dallas Cowboys are seemingly ready to oblige the 10-year veteran.

Vice president Stephen Jones certainly implied as much on Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

It’s a move made easier by the development of rookie cornerbacks Jourdan Lewis and Chidobe Awuzie in 2017 and the team’s plan to move safety Byron Jones to cornerback in 2018.

The question is when and how?

The Cowboys engaged in trade talks with the New Orleans Saints during the 2016 NFL Draft regarding a swap of Scandrick for former Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro and a sixth-round pick, per a source.

The trade fell through.

But Jones said the Cowboys would consider a trade again before outright releasing Scandrick. Of course, it's much tougher to trade a player teams expect to be cut.

“Those are all things we take a look at,” Jones said. “We haven’t made that decision. We haven’t made any decision final at this point. Those are all things that go into the mix. You’d always like to trade anybody before you cut them. I’d rather get something than nothing, every time. We could handle the accelerations or anything that comes into play there. We're not limited to trading anybody because of cap space.”

The Cowboys would save Scandrick’s $3 million base salary next season. He would cost $3.9 million against the cap if he was traded. That number would be split over the next two years if he was released and designated a post-June 1 cut.

Scandrick, 31, made 38 tackles, no interceptions and three pass breakups in 11 games last season before going on injured reserve.

This story was originally published February 27, 2018 at 4:56 PM with the headline "Orlando Scandrick's days as a Dallas Cowboy could be numbered."