Tag: Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Saints injury update: Inactive players for Week 8 game vs. Chargers

Here are the Week 8 inactives for the New Orleans Saints’ matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. A recently-signed wide receiver won’t play just yet:

Only two players were listed as out due to injury on the Friday injury report for the New Orleans Saints, and one player was doubtful. This ended up with three players out due to injury on gameday, and four healthy inactives for the game as well. There are some surprises on this list, but nothing exceptionally concerning overall, while the Los Angeles Chargers had a few players out due to injury this week on the other side.

The Saints held out a few rookies on the healthy inactive list which is one of the more intriguing developments, including Jaylan Ford, Dallin Holker, and Khristian Boyd. They will also hold out recent addition Marquez Valdes-Scantling, presumably to allow him more time to get into the system and get ready for gameday next weekend instead.

All of the injured inactives for the Saints entered the game with an injury designation of doubtful or worse, so those three were all expected more or less. The remaining players on the report will be available, which is a huge notion for a Saints team that has struggled immensely with injuries the past few weeks. Their “mini-bye” since “Thursday Night Football” helped get things cleared up no doubt.

Here is the full inactive lists for the Saints and Chargers this week:

New Orleans Saints inactive players:

  • QB Derek Carr (oblique)
  • WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. (hip)
  • G Nick Saldiveri (shoulder)
  • WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
  • LB Jaylan Ford
  • TE Dallin Holker
  • DT Khristian Boyd

Los Angeles Chargers inactive players:

  • WR Quentin Johnston (ankle)
  • QB Easton Stick (emergency third quarterback)
  • WR Derius Davis (hamstring)
  • TE Hayden Hurst (groin)
  • OL Jordan McFadden
  • DL Justin Eboigbe

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Newly-acquired wide receiver details what he brings to the Saints’ table

The New Orleans Saints have a clear vision for Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and he says he’s ready to step up to the plate:

There was a clear goal when the New Orleans Saints signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling. New Orleans was bringing him in to offset some of deep threat ability Rashid Shaheed brought to the table.

That wasn’t lost on Valdes-Scantling. On Wednesday, he said he wants to “come in and contribute any way he can,” but we all know what that looks like.

The wide receiver is aiming to “provide the big-play ability that I’ve had over my whole career. I just want to get back to doing that and be able to push the ball down the field, so we can score some points.”

Valdes-Scantling averaged 15.3, 17.4,  20.9 (leading the league in 2020), and 16.5 yards per catch during his four years with the Green Bay Packers, and he continued to make plays as a downfield threat on the Kansas City Chiefs. He picked up yards at 16.4 and 15.0 per catch the last two years, so he knows how to take the top off the defense.

One thing that’ll help is Valdes-Scantling’s familiarity with the system: “It’s very similar to the offense I had when I was in Green Bay a couple of years ago, so it’s some carry over there.”

Already possessing knowledge of the offense’s principles will help Valdes-Scantling grasp the Saints’ playbook quickly, and possibly get on the field Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. Either way, when the coaches call him up, he’s confident he can deliver.

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Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s family has New Orleans roots

Marquez Valdes-Scantling may be new to the Saints, but he isn’t new to New Orleans. His family has Louisiana roots:

Marquez Valdes-Scantling may be new to the New Orleans Saints, but he’s far from unfamiliar with the area. He has family roots within the city. His dad’s side of the family is from New Orleans.

Valdes-Scantling said he visited New Orleans quite a few times during his childhood and is “very familiar with the area, the food and the atmosphere.”

He’s a Florida native and he’s happy to return a familiar climate. Valdes-Scantling spent his playing days in Buffalo, Wisconsin and Kansas City. He called the change in weather “good for him.”

His journey on the field to New Orleans feels like it took forever. The team has pursued Valdes-Scantling in 2022. Ultimately, he chose to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s a hard decision to argue with and resulted in two Super Bowl rings.

The receiver revealed how close he was to joining the Saints at that time: “I was super close. I was actually on my visit to the Chiefs. I was on my way out the door to come down here, to get on the plane. The Chiefs wouldn’t let me leave and that’s the history of it.”

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Commanders had interest in free-agent WR before he signed elsewhere

Are the Commanders still looking to add wide receiver depth?

The Washington Commanders could still be looking to shore up their wide receiver room ahead of the NFL trade deadline in two weeks.

Of course, Washington may not be interested in trading for a receiver, such as Tee Higgins or DeAndre Hopkins, but instead bringing in a veteran free agent.

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Commanders were interested in veteran wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling before signing with the New Orleans Saints on Monday. Valdes-Scantling, 30, is an eight-year veteran who spent the first four seasons of his career with the Green Bay Packers.

He spent the previous two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he won two Super Bowl rings. Valdes-Scantling signed with the Buffalo Bills in the offseason but was released last week once they traded for Amari Cooper.

The 6-foot-4 Valdes-Scantling appeared in three games for the Bills, catching two passes for 26 yards. For his career. Valdes-Scantling has 188 receptions for 3,181 yards and 16 touchdowns.

It’s unknown how interested Washington was in Valdes-Scantling, but he could’ve been considered depth as the Commanders appear happy with their wide receivers room. Terry McLaurin is having arguably the best start to his NFL career, while Dyami Brown, Luke McCaffrey, Noah Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus have all settled into productive roles for the NFC’s top offense.

Ex-Chiefs WR, two-time Super Bowl champion signs with Saints

According to a report from Tom Pelissero, the #Saints signed ex-#Chiefs WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling after their Week 7 loss to the #Broncos.

According to a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the New Orleans Saints signed former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling on Monday after their Week 7 loss to the Denver Broncos.

Valdes-Scantling was released by the Buffalo Bills last week after they traded with the Cleveland Browns for star wideout Amari Cooper.

Given Kansas City’s lack of depth at the receiver position after injuries struck Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown and Rashee Rice, some Chiefs fans thought that Valdes-Scantling would be a logical pickup for the defending Super Bowl champions.

But, now that Valdes-Scantling has agreed to terms with New Orleans, Kansas City will have to look elsewhere if it intends to sign another pass-catcher before Week 8.

 

Valdes-Scantling was a key part of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVII and LVIII rosters and is sure to make an immediate impact for the Saints if he sees playing time in Week 8.

Stay tuned to see if Kansas City decides to sign another receiver this week after veteran pass-catcher JuJu Smith-Schuster’s early exit from the Chiefs’ Week 7 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers due to injury.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling picked the Saints over a surprise playoffs contender

Catching passes from Jayden Daniels on the NFC East-leading Commanders would have been fun, but Marquez Valdes-Scantling may have more opportunities in New Orleans:

Catching passes from Jayden Daniels on the NFC East-leading Washington Commanders would have been fun, but Marquez Valdes-Scantling may have more opportunities to make a play with the New Orleans Saints. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Valdes-Scantling fielded interest from the Commanders and Indianapolis Colts, among other teams, but the veteran wide receiver picked the black and gold.

It’s easy to see why. Players want to play, and opportunities abound in New Orleans. Injuries have hit the Saints hard at wide receiver. Chris Olave is still working his way back through the NFL concussion protocol, and Rashid Shaheed is out for the season after knee surgery. Bub Means and Cedrick Wilson Jr. have each been listed on the injury report with ailments of their own. It shouldn’t take Valdes-Scantling long to climb the depth chart.

That’s certainly more appealing than competing with established weapons like Terry McLaurin, Zach Ertz, Michael Pittman Jr., and Josh Downs for targets. Valdes-Scantling would’ve spent more time on the sideline in Washington or Indianapolis than he will in New Orleans. Young quarterbacks like Daniels and Anthony Richardson certainly have their appeal but what matters most is how often you’re in the game.

At the same time, it may have come down to money. We don’t know the terms of his contract, but if the Saints were the only team offering Valdes-Scantling a spot on their 53-man roster while other teams wanted him to start out on their practice squad, the difference is clear. Even a minimum salary of $1,125,000 for the season and about $66,176 each week outweighs the max he could hope for on a practice squad (up to $21,300 each week). NFL careers are short, and Valdes-Scantling owes it to himself to consider all factors when making a decision like this.

So now he’s in New Orleans. Fowler adds that Valdes-Scantling has already passed his physical and is getting to work on the playbook. The Saints have a game coming up quickly with the Los Angeles Chargers this Sunday, and it would be great to see him in the mix right away.

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Saints sign two-time Super Bowl champion wide receiver after major injury

The Saints signed two-time Super Bowl champion Marquez Valdes-Scantling after a major injury to Rashid Shaheed, adding experience to the receiving corps:

This move has been in the making for quite some time. The New Orleans Saints are signing wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport. Valdes-Scantling won back-to-back Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs, but before that, the Saints tried hard to recruit him in free agency. Now they’re getting him after all.

Valdes-Scantling’s arrival comes in the wake of season-ending knee surgery for Rashid Shaheed, one of the game’s brightest young stars. Like Shaheed, Valdes-Scantling is known as a deep threat, though he outweighs the injured Pro Bowler by 26 pounds. Valdes-Scantling is a bigger target at 6-foot-4 with a 78-inch wingspan compared to the 6-foot Shaheed’s 73-inch wingspan. He also clocked the 40 yard dash in 4.37 seconds coming out of college back in 2018.

But if those measurables were all that matters, Valdes-Scantling wouldn’t have been available. The Chiefs cut him earlier this  year because his production didn’t match his contract. He initially  signed  with the Buffalo Bills but was let go after catching just two passes (on nine targets) through six games. So we should temper expectations for him in New Orleans.

Still, Valdes-Scantling does have a lot to offer. He’s competed in 11 playoff games and caught 188 passes for 3,181 yards before his 30th birthday, scoring 16 touchdowns. That experience matters, and the Saints clearly have a role in mind for him. Let’s see if it pans out.

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Saints looking at free agent Super Bowl champ to replace injured WR

Marquez Valdes-Scantling is coming to New Orleans for a workout. The Saints have a type in their post-Davante Adams wide receiver search

The New Orleans Saints have been actively searching for a wide receiver over the last month. Rashid Shaheed’s season-ending injury makes this a much larger need, as Chris Olave is your only reliable receiver in the room.

New Orleans was aggressive in their approach for Davante Adams and have reportedly showed interest in veteran wide receiver Mike Williams.

After dabbling in the trade market, the Saints have taken a new route and are looking at free agents. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is flying into New Orleans for a workout Sunday night, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The Saints were also one of the leaders for the wide receiver in 2022 free agency before he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. Valdes-Scantling won a couple of Super Bowl rings with the Chiefs but was let go when his contract outweighed his production. He recently played for the Buffalo Bills, but they cut him after trading for Amari Cooper.

The way the season is going, the Saints will have early picks in each round of the 2025 draft. Free agency feels like the better choice opposed to departing with anything more than a late-round pick doesn’t feel the best idea.

The most notable quality Valdes-Scantling brings is the ability to stretch the field. It’s the same trait as Mike Williams. It’s the biggest trait they lost in Rashid Shaheed, and they’re clearly looking to replace it.

Former Chiefs and Bills WR should be on the Steelers radar

The Bills have released Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

On the same day that the Buffalo Bills made a huge trade for former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper, the team also released wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to make room on the roster. MVS only had two receptions on the season in six games and found himself buried on the Bills depth chart.

But based on his history, Valdes-Scantling has plenty of talent and is certainly a guy the Pittsburgh Steelers should consider after missing out on Davante Adams. Adams was traded to the New York Jets on Tuesday marking the second premier wide receiver who slipped through the Steelers fingers.

The Steelers signed Van Jefferson in the offseason and drafted Roman Wilson in hopes of filling the void left when the team traded away Diontae Johnson. Through six games, the tandem has combined for eight catches, all courtesy of Jefferson.

In 2020, Valdes-Scantling led the league with 20.9 yards per reception. MVS had his career-best in receptions in 2022 with 42 catches while he was part of the Kansas City Chiefs.

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Bills release ex-Chiefs WR after trading for Amari Cooper

The Buffalo #Bills released veteran WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling on Tuesday after trading for Pro Bowl pass-catcher Amari Cooper.

On Tuesday, the Buffalo Bills released veteran wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who won two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs, after trading for Pro Bowl pass-catcher Amari Cooper.

The Chiefs have dealt with injuries in their receiving corps this year and Valdes-Scantling’s availability could open the door for his potential return to Kansas City.

Though there has been no indication that the Chiefs are interested in bringing Valdes-Scantling back, speculation abounds regarding Kansas City’s need at the receiver position.

For now, it remains more likely that general manager Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid will elect to activate Justyn Ross, Nikko Remigio, or
Montrell Washington from their practice squad to shore up the depth on their 53-man roster.

 

While Valdes-Scantling will be an option for the Chiefs immediately after his release, fans shouldn’t expect the two-time champion to remain a free agent for long as teams around the NFL consider what his speed and experience might bring to their offenses.