DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett‘s departures have introduced a big retooling effort at receiver in Seattle. Whereas the staff might want to add at the very least one starter-level receiver to enrich Jaxon Smith-Njigba, it’s including a possible depth piece now.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling will signal with the Seahawks, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The well-traveled wideout agreed to a one-year contract price as much as $5.5M. After the Chiefs and Payments each lower Valdes-Scantling final 12 months, he caught on with the Saints and performed a daily position. He’ll comply with 2024 New Orleans OC Klint Kubiak to Seattle.
Valdes-Scantling made some memorable contributions with the Chiefs, however they moved on from his three-year, $30M contract after a disappointing 2023 season. He signed with the Payments after the draft however didn’t see a lot enjoying time earlier than an in-season launch. With the Saints, nonetheless, he grew to become a daily a part of a battered receiving corps.
Kubiak used MVS as a downfield menace, because the ex-Packer draftee caught 17 passes for 385 yards and 4 touchdowns throughout a half-season in New Orleans. With Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed out, Kubiak wanted to search out different producers. Though MVS had been trending downward and has had an inconsistent profession, he produced through the brief Saints stint. This included a 109-yard, two-TD day in a Saints win over the Falcons. MVS additionally cleared 50 receiving yards on three different events with the Saints to shut his age-30 season.
The previous fifth-round choose continues to be higher identified for his Inexperienced Bay and Kansas Metropolis stays. The 6-foot-4 receiver totaled a career-high 690 yards for the 2020 Packers, main the NFL with a 20.9-yard common per catch and including six TDs throughout Aaron Rodgers‘ third MVP season. Given a $10M-per-year deal because the Chiefs pivoted to a less expensive receiving group after Tyreek Hill extension talks became a Dolphins commerce, Valdes-Scantling amassed 687 yards for the Tremendous Bowl champions that 12 months.
The Chiefs trusted MVS within the 2022 AFC Championship Recreation as their receiving corps battled accidents. He got here via with a six-reception, 116-yard exhibiting to assist the Chiefs stave off the Bengals. In 2023, Valdes-Scantling caught two deep balls in a Chiefs divisional-round win over the Payments and added the game-clinching seize in opposition to the Ravens. He then caught a third-quarter TD cross in Tremendous Bowl LVIII. In fact, that got here after a 315-yard season that featured a expensive deep-ball drop in a November loss to the Eagles.
Following the Metcalf trade and Lockett launch, the Seahawks have Jake Bobo and fourth-year performer Dareke Young as Smith-Njigba enhances. Whereas including a second wideout with a hyphenated title reminds of a current Chiefs setup, Seattle will undoubtedly be searching for extra assist for Sam Darnold quickly.