New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced that the club has signed free agent wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Here are five things to know about the Saints roster addition:
1. Valdes-Scantling joins the Saints after spending the early portion of the 2024 NFL season with the Buffalo Bills, appearing in six games. The wide receiver most recently received significant playing time with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022 and 2023 where he helped the Chiefs to two consecutive Super Bowl championships including catching a 16-yard touchdown in the Chiefs victory in Super Bowl LVIII.
2. Scantling is a seven-year NFL veteran who has accumulated 188 receptions for 3,181 yards and 16 touchdowns in his 98 regular season games (60 starts). He's made his living as a deep threat with his 16.9 average yards per reception being the eighth-highest average yards per reception among players with a minimum of 0.9375 receptions per game since he entered the NFL in 2018. He has ranked in the in the top five in the NFL for the largest average depth of target in four of the last five seasons (2023, 2021-2019)
3. Valdes-Scantling was selected in the fifth round (174th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers out of the University of Florida. Valdes-Scantling played two seasons at South Florida (2016-2017) appearing in 25 games with 23 starts, posting 75 receptions for 1,294 yards and 11 touchdowns helping the Bulls to two double-digit win seasons and two consecutive victories in the Birmingham Bowl. His senior year he set USF's season receiving yards record with 879 yards on a team-leading 53 receptions in 2017. He started his college career at North Carolina State (2013-14), where he played in 23 games and caught 44 passes for 538 yards and one touchdown.
4. Head coach Dennis Allen described Valdes-Scantling in a press conference on Oct. 21 as providing a "speed element" the team could use in the absence of Rashid Shaheed. The wide receiver showcased that speed at the 2018 NFL Combine where he ran a 4.37 40-yard dash. He's also ran 22.09 miles per hour on a 75-yard touchdown reception in 2021, which was the second fastest speed a player tallied in the 2021 season.
5. Valdes-Scantling reunites with some former teammates from the Chiefs in linebacker Willie Gay Jr. and defensive tackle Khalen Saunders. He also reunites with fellow former Packers wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown.
New Orleans Saints announced they have signed wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Check out Valdes-Scantling in action with the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers during his NFL career.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (15) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans Sunday, October. 6, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (15) runs a pass route during an NFL football game against the Houston Texans on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Matt Patterson)
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (15) runs a route during the second half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Orchard Park, N.Y., Monday Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/ Jeffrey T. Barnes)
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (15) watches from the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (15) runs on the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (11) celebrates after the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Kansas City Chiefs won 25-22 against the San Francisco 49ers. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (11) celebrates his touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (11) makes a touchdown catch against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (11) is stopped by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens (21) during the second half of the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Denver Broncos cornerback Fabian Moreau (23) pursues Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (11) after he pulled in a pass in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (11) runs for a touchdown past Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. (26) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Peter Aiken)
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling runs the ball during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (11) catches a ball during an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (11) signals for a touchdown during the NFL Super Bowl LVII football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023 in Glendale, Ariz. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (11) makes the catch behind Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton (21) during the first half of the NFL AFC Championship playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (11) is tackled by Denver Broncos cornerback Lamar Jackson (25) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling flips into the end zone after catching a touchdown pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (83) scores a touchdown in front of Baltimore Ravens defensive back Robert Jackson in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (83) in action during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (83) runs after a catch during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears Sunday, Dec 12. 2021, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (83) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (83), defended by Detroit Lions cornerback Amani Oruwariye (24), falls into the end zone for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Leon Halip)
Green Bay Packers' Marquez Valdes-Scantling runs during the first half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (83) runs after a catch against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Oct. 15, 2018, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (83) runs after a catch against the Detroit Lions during an NFL football game in Detroit, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
