Eagles sign veteran cornerback Orlando Scandrick, release L.J. Fort

The Eagles signed veteran cornerback Orlando Scandrick to the active roster Friday, releasing linebacker L.J. Fort to make space.

Scandrick, 32, spent training camp with the Eagles before getting cut during the final week of the preseason. The longtime Dallas Cowboy defensive back was signed in late July after Eagles corner Cre’Von LeBlanc injured his foot on the first day of training camp.

The Eagles already-thinned secondary took another couple of blows during Thursday’s 34-27 win over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Sidney Jones left with a hamstring injury in the first quarter and did not return. Avonte Maddox, filling in for Jones as an outside corner, suffered a scary head and neck injury that forced him to be taken off the field on a stretcher. The Eagles entered the night with Ronald Darby, Jalen Mills, and LeBlanc on the shelf.

Darby is out for multiple weeks with a hamstring injury. He is a year removed from tearing his ACL and was struggling this season keeping up with receivers. Mills is still on the PUP list with a foot injury suffered last season. Mills isn’t allowed to rejoin the active roster until Week 6 against the Minnesota Vikings, but he told the Inquirer that he’ll be fully recovered soon.

“I’m close,” Mills said. “I’m cutting. I’m running. I’m sprinting. I’m close. I think it is a good thing that I am on PUP right now, because if I wasn’t, then it would have to be on the team to have to deactivate me, activate me before every game.”

If neither Maddox nor Jones will be available when the Eagles host the New York Jets next Sunday, the Eagles have three healthy corners in Scandrick, Rasul Douglas, and practice-squad-player-turned-hero Craig James. Safety Malcolm Jenkins could slide down and play slot cornerback if needed.

Fort signed a three-year, $10 million deal with the Eagles this March after spending four seasons with the Steelers. The Eagles gave him $1.9 million guaranteed in the contract. He led Pittsburgh in plays on special teams in 2018 while getting an expanded role on the team’s defense. But with the Eagles he hadn’t recorded a defensive snap in the first four games and played 35 plays on special teams, good for 67 percent.