:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61233533/180892212.jpg.0.jpg)
One thing that I think is getting a bit lost in all the Eric Berry injury news and debate is the state of the Kansas City Chiefs’ cornerbacks heading into their Week 1 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach’s offseason plan was always to have Kendall Fuller and Steve Nelson as the team’s primary defensive backs heading into Week 1, but the plan for their guy at nickel changed three weeks ago when they signed Orlando Scandrick.
The Chiefs eventually officially changed their course of action with the somewhat stunning cutdown release of David Amerson (I call it somewhat stunning because you don’t always see executives willing to admit they were wrong in the NFL).
Earlier in the week, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke about the trend of NFL teams having three cornerbacks on the field 73 percent of the time—meaning Scandrick, again, the guy who arrived in Kansas City three weeks ago, will be pretty damn important as to how this season plays out.
Smart quarterbacks with weapons—you know, like Philip Rivers with Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams and Mike Williams—could try to exploit the 31-year-old Scandrick.
(Important side note: What is the deal with the AFC West and Williameses?)
So on Thursday, I asked Bob Sutton where Scandrick stands in terms of being ready for Sunday in LA.
“I think he has done a good job,” Sutton said. “He has only been here a couple weeks, which makes him a veteran now here.”
Oh Bob, you sly dog.
“He is another guy who has played a lot of football,” Sutton added. “He has played a lot of different systems. He understands defensive football. For me with him, what I told him was really getting up to date on our terminology and then he is one of those guys that has been in about every kind of coverage you could ever play in football and then you have to learn what the different adjustments are and that varies team to team.
“He is not going to have a problem figuring out the coverages, it is how fast can he drill down and become technique sound from the way we play and understand all the small adjustments each team does different.”
Orlando Scandrick earned a 55.9 grade from @PFF in his first preseason game as a Chief. 26 snaps, 16 in pass coverage. Only target of the day went for 6. For comparison’s sake, Kendall Fuller earned a 80.4 in the game.
— Arrowhead Pride (@ArrowheadPride) August 27, 2018
Scandrick is the part of the Chiefs defense that scares me the most. Remember, he signed with the Washington Redskins this offseason only to be let go with a free and easy one million dollars.
He wasn’t good enough for Jay Gruden, a man Reid has said he respects so much he knew Alex Smith would be in good hands.
Are the Chiefs when it comes to Scandrick?