The speedster will help provide depth to a Bills wide receiver room that lost Gabriel Davis and traded Stefon Diggs over the offseason.
Highlights
- The Bills signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling to boost the receiving core after losing key players.
- Valdes-Scantling’s deep threat abilities can complement the Bills’ offensive scheme.
- His successful 2022 season with the Chiefs was offset by a drop-filled 2023, leading to his release.
Players who are waived by their teams in the run-up to free agency sometimes have to wait until after the draft to find their new teams and that is exactly what happened to Marquez Valdez-Scantling. On Tuesday morning, the Buffalo Bills announced that they had signed the speedy wideout to a one-year deal.
The Bills have made multiple changes to their wide receiver group in the offseason after losing Stefon Diggs in a trade. During the free agency period, Buffalo signed Curtis Samuel away from the Washington Commanders with a three-year, $30 million contract. The team also used a second-round pick to select Keon Coleman from Florida State.
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The Bills Lost Gabriel Davis and Stefon Diggs in the Offseason
Valdes-Scantling has flashed in the past, but had a rough time in Kansas City
Buffalo had to acquire several new receivers because they lost some key players over the offseason. Early on in free agency, Gabriel Davis was lured away by the Jacksonville Jaguars for a big-money deal. The Bills also dealt long-time star Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans for draft compensation.
Valdes-Scantling began his career with the Green Bay Packers, serving as a deep threat for Aaron Rodgers. He had his best season in 2020 when he caught 33 passes for 690 yards and six touchdowns. His average of 20.9 yards per reception was the best in the NFL.
|
Marquez Valdes-Scantling Career Stats |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Year |
Team |
Receptions |
Receiving Yards |
Receiving TDs |
Average Depth of Target |
|
2018 |
GB |
38 |
581 |
2 |
12.2 |
|
2019 |
GB |
26 |
452 |
2 |
16.9 |
|
2020 |
GB |
33 |
690 |
6 |
18.3 |
|
2021 |
GB |
26 |
430 |
3 |
17.9 |
|
2022 |
KC |
42 |
687 |
2 |
13.9 |
|
2023 |
KC |
21 |
315 |
1 |
17.7 |
The wide receiver signed a three-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022. After a successful 2022 season, Valdes-Scantling had a poor 2023 campaign that was plagued by drops. He never got to year three of the deal, as the Chiefs waived him in late February.
The Bills will not run a wide receiver room that doesn’t have a true number-one receiver like Diggs but features several players who can contribute in different ways. Valdes Scantling’s ability to get deep could provide a threat for Josh Allen and open up the middle of the field for the other wideouts and tight end, Dalton Kincaid.
Source: Buffalo Bills
All statistics are courtesy of Pro Football Reference, and all contract figures are courtesy of Spotrac unless otherwise noted.
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