The first move the Kansas City Chiefs made after trading away Patrick Mahomes’ most explosive target, Tyreek Hill, was signing former Packers wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling to a three-year, $30 million contract. MVS also drew interest from the Patriots, per NFL Media’s Mike Giardi, as well as the Saints, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, but decided to sign with Kansas City instead.
The Chiefs trading Hill to the Miami Dolphins seems to have nudged Valdes-Scantling in their direction.
“I think that with the departure of him, it gave me a really good opportunity to be in position to come in and be an immediate impact right away,” Valdes-Scantling said Friday, per the Kansas City Star. “So, I think that was a huge factor into it.”
Primarily utilized as a deep threat during his time with Green Bay, Valdes-Scantling totaled 123 catches for 2,153 yards and 13 touchdowns across 59 games. He averaged 17.5 yards per reception, but also caught less than 50 percent of passes thrown his way. The opportunity to work with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, and do a bit more than merely stretch the field vertically, appealed to him.
“Obviously, I’ve been a top deep threat in the league for the four years in my career,” he said. “Those stats speak for themselves, but (I’m) also not limited to just that, at the end of the day. Coach Reid does a really good job of getting his playmakers the ball. I think with having Pat under center and Coach Reid calling those plays, I think I fit right in.”
Valdes-Scantling has also become known as a strong blocker, and with the Chiefs also adding JuJu Smith-Schuster and then signing Ronald Jones, it seems like the run game might become a larger part of their offense. MVS should help on that front, in addition to what he brings as a deep threat and what he’s eager to prove he can provide on other types of routes.
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