Although he had to leave last night’s preseason game against the Colts for evaluation, Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick was not diagnosed with a concussion. This is certainly good news for the veteran, but also for the team as they avoided another blow to an already thinned defensive backfield.
As reported by Kate Hairopoulous, Scandrick was removed from the game during the second quarter and examined for a possible concussion. Dallas was already without Anthony Brown, Chidobe Awuzie, and Jourdan Lewis last night due to general precautionary measures during preseason.
With the cumulative and somewhat unpredictable nature of concussion injuries, they are a concern for any player. This is especially true as players get older; the risk of continuing to play weighed against the increasing awareness of the long-term affects of concussions and general football-related trauma.
Thankfully, Orlando Scandrick appears to have avoided a second confirmed concussion. He suffered one in 2010 and was evaluated for another last season, but only the 2010 incident was officially diagnosed.
Dallas certainly can’t afford to lose the veteran cornerback this season. They are already expecting for Nolan Carroll to be suspended for a few games for a DWI incident in May. The three young players, Brown, Awuzie, and Lewis, have just one year of NFL experience combined.
The real victories in preseason are avoiding injuries to key players. Scandrick and the Cowboys won this time around.
