Saints should immediately sign recent addition to long-term deal

On October 22, the New Orleans Saints signed wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling less than a week after his release from the Buffalo Bills. It was a necessary move for the Saints, who lost starters Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Concussions could keep Olave out for the rest of the year, while Shaheed will definitely miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Valdes-Scantling, 30, spent the first four years of his career with the Green Bay Packers after being selected in the fifth round in the 2018 NFL Draft out of South Florida. Over those four years, he caught 123 passes for 2,153 yards and 13 touchdowns.

A free agent in 2022, Valdes-Scantling was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs. He spent the last two seasons with the back-to-back Super Bowl champions, catching 63 balls for 1,002 yards and three scores. He had six catches for 116 yards in the 2023 AFC Championship Game to help the Chiefs reach Super Bowl LVII. In their Super Bowl LVIII victory, he would make a key reception for a touchdown.

Kansas City released Valdes-Scantling early last offseason. He was quickly signed by the Buffalo Bills, but did not make the expected impact. In six games with the Bills, he would have only two receptions on nine targets for 26 yards. Less than a week after he was released by Buffalo, Valdes-Scantling was a saint.

Out of necessity, the Saints pushed Valdes-Scantling into action almost immediately. He was promoted to the active roster for the team’s November 3 game against the Carolina Panthers and had one catch for five yards in that loss.

The following week against the Atlanta Falcons, Valdes-Scantling was one of the main reasons for the Saints’ victory. He had a 40-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, then another long reception later in the quarter to set up his second touchdown. In total, Valdes-Scantling caught his three targets for 103 yards and two scores, all in the second quarter.

Against the Browns, Valdes-Scantling continued his big contributions. He completed two of his four targets for 87 yards. One of them was a 71-yard catch and run for a touchdown in the second quarter. He also nearly scored another long score on a deep pass without a brilliant breakup from Browns cornerback Denzel Ward.

Valdes-Scantling doesn’t have any stats that jump out at you. In three games, he has six receptions on eight targets. However, three of them involved touchdowns and another resulted directly in a score. He has 201 yards and an impressive 33.5 per reception.

One of the most glaring weaknesses on the Saints roster was the lack of depth at the wide receiver position. This weakness was highlighted when the team lost Olave and Shaheed, handcuffing the entire unit.

AT Perry, a 2023 draft pick, was not the answer and is not even on the team anymore. Veteran offseason pickups Cedrick Wilson and Equanimeous St Brown have done absolutely nothing. Rookies Bub Means (currently on injured reserve) and Mason Tipton show promise but seem best suited as solid pieces to fill out the depth chart.

Márquez Valdes-Scantling has brought at least some stability to a position that was immediately in disarray after losing both of its playmakers. He has good size, experience and the speed to take over a defense or create big plays after the catch. Just as importantly, he quickly earned the trust of quarterback Derek Carr.

A free agent at the end of this year, the Saints would do well to approach Valdes-Scantling about a contract extension now. He shouldn’t cost much and would form a playmaking trio with Olave and Shaheed next year.

New Orleans will have many roster needs to deal with this offseason. Wide receiver is definitely on this list. Signing Márquez Valdes-Scantling to an extension now would at least reduce the need at the position.