The Kansas City Chiefs cut Marquez Valdes-Scantling earlier in the offseason as a cost-cutting move. After making a few free agent visits, the wide receiver eventually signed with the new-look Buffalo Bills. After parting ways with Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis, Buffalo looked to rebuild a receiving corps from the ground up with Valdes-Scantling, fellow free agent Curtis Samuel, and second-round pick Keon Coleman. However, one report indicates that this plan is already falling apart.
According to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic, the Bills could cut Marquez Valdes-Scantling ahead of Week 1. Per the report, the two-time Super Bowl champion “has faded into the background” and “has yet to make a strong impression in the passing game during team drills.” This obviously isn’t a good sign, especially since the report mentions that Valdes-Scantling is practicing with the second-team offense.
Perhaps Marquez Valdes-Scantling cannot make the cut with the Buffalo Bills, but he could latch on somewhere else. The Chiefs might be willing to take him back for some veteran insurance, or a team like the New Orleans Saints could use him to reinforce a top-heavy depth chart.
Report: Bills Could Cut Marquez Valdes Scantling
Marquez Valdes-Scantling never lived up to his contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, which is why the team cut him. However, even though he was nothing more than a depth option in the passing attack, he could still be valuable at the right cost. After dealing with subpar wide receiver play throughout the 2023 season, Kansas City aggressively addressed the position by signing free agent Marquise Brown and trading up in the first round for Xavier Worthy. Both players possess game-breaking speed and appear to be there to try and improve on what Valdes-Scantling did in 2024.
The fact of the matter is that Valdes-Scantling is not good enough to beat out either player for snaps. However, seeing as Kansas City is clearly trying to add a vertical element to their offense, he could latch on at the bottom of this depth chart. Even with the big offseason additions, the Chiefs could still use more depth to ensure that Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore never see the field. With Mecole Hardman a reported cut candidate, Marquez Valdes-Scantling could return as a depth option.
Saints Add More Depth
The New Orleans Saints have one of the most top-heavy rosters in football, and the wide receiver position is no exception. Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are an adequate duo, but there is no notable depth behind them. Sixth-round pick A.T. Perry showed some promise as a rookie, but New Orleans shouldn’t put too much faith in a relatively untested player with poor draft capital. If the Bills cut Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the Saints should bring him in and see if he can be the fourth or fifth option in this passing attack.
Stylistically speaking, Shaheed and Valdes-Scantling have similar styles of play. This could limit Valdes-Scantling’s overall impact on the team when everyone is healthy, but it should provide value insurance in case injury strikes. Derek Carr is only as good as the pieces around him, and he won’t be able to guide this team to the playoffs with only Chris Olave and a subpar offensive line. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is not as good as Shaheed, but the cut candidate could fill the role adequately in a worst-case scenario.
Main Photo: Mark J. Rebilas – USA Today Sports
