Seahawks Add Veteran WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling on One-Year Deal
New Orleans, United States. 02nd Dec, 2024. New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (10) catches a touchdown pass as Los Angeles Rams cornerback Darious Williams (24) defends at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday, December 01, 2024. Photo by AJ Sisco/UPI. Credit: UPI/Alamy Live News
Beginning the process of rebuilding their receiving corps after trading DK Metcalf and releasing Tyler Lockett this offseason, the Seattle Seahawks have brought veteran wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling on board, reuniting him with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak in the Pacific Northwest.
As reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Seahawks will sign Valdes-Scantling to a one-year contract worth up to $5.5 million dollars. Other contract details such as guaranteed money have yet to be disclosed.
Originally breaking into the NFL as a fifth-round pick for the Packers back in 2018, the 6-4, 206-pound Valdes-Scantling has been an effective vertical threat throughout his seven-year career, averaging 17.4 yards per reception, the highest average among receivers with 200 or more receptions during that span. Of his 205 catches, 68 of them have gone for at least 20 yards at a remarkable 33 percent rate, while 13 of his 20 career touchdown receptions have been 20 or more yards, demonstrating his explosive play capabilities.
Utilized as a complementary downfield weapon with just two seasons of more than 70 targets in stops with four different teams, Valdes-Scantling’s best two seasons came with the Packers and Chiefs in 2020 and 2022 respectively, as he led the NFL averaging 20.9 yards per catch with six touchdowns in 2020 and posted a career-high 687 receiving yards in 2022.
After arriving at midseason from the Bills last year, Valdes-Scantling provided a spark for a Saints squad that had lost Chris Olave and Rasheed Shaheed for the season due to injury. Jumping right into the lineup, Kubiak took advantage of his speed by dialing up opportunities for deep balls, and he scored four touchdowns in a three-game span, including hauling in a 71-yard strike from Derek Carr in a win over the Browns. In eight games in Kubiak’s offense, he produced 22.6 yards per reception with four touchdowns on just 17 receptions.
Unfortunately, Valdes-Scantling has been the textbook definition of a feast or famine pass catcher since entering the league, as Pro Football Focus has charged him with 24 drops and a 9.5 percent drop rate for his career, including an ugly 13.6 percent drop rate last season. Since his game has always been predicated on stretching the field vertically on lower efficiency throws and he isn’t much of a yards after the catch manufacturer in the quick game, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he has a 42 percent success rate on targets, which ranks 107th out of 109 players with at least 200 catches since 2018.
In seven seasons in the league, Valdes-Scantling has never posted a catch rate better than 52 percent and only eclipsed 50 percent four times. Struggling to find a groove with Josh Allen in Buffalo early last season, he caught two out of nine targets thrown his direction for a dismal 22 percent catch rate, and he still fell under the 50 percent mark in his partial season with New Orleans.
With Metcalf and Lockett departing, Valdes-Scantling immediately becomes the top candidate currently on the roster to receive targets behind rising star Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and his speed should help somewhat compensate for Metcalf’s exit in particular. With that said, the Seahawks won’t want to go into next season with him as the true No. 2 wideout due to the volatility of his game, and the position remains one to watch for additional free agent signings in coming days as well as potentially an early round pick in April’s draft.
