IRVING, Texas – Orlando Scandrick isn’t sweating his spot on the Cowboys cornerback pecking order.

Scandrick would prefer to be a starter, but that’s not the case after the Cowboys gave a $50 million contract to Brandon Carr and traded up in the draft to select Morris Claiborne with the sixth overall pick. So Scandrick returns to his familiar role as the Cowboys’ slot corner.

And Scandrick isn’t concerned about his role changing if and when Mike Jenkins is cleared to play after missing all of the offseason and training camp while recovering from shoulder surgery.

“If you’re asking me if I think that I’m going to not play when he comes back, no, not even a thought in my mind,” Scandrick said. “That hasn’t even crossed my mind.”

That’s not intended as a slight to Jenkins. Scandrick just can’t envision losing his job to a player that would have precious little time to practice a position that he's never played.

Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and secondary coach Jerome Henderson have said they believe Jenkins can play the slot, but the 2008 first-round pick has never done it. All of Jenkins’ experience is as an outside corner.

Scandrick calls the slot a “totally different world,” pointing out that the routes tend to be a lot quicker and receivers have much more space to work.

“He’s never played inside in his career,” Scandrick said. “To think that he’s just going to come inside and play inside, I’m more than willing to let the best player play.”