The Seattle Seahawks had a very strong receiving corps. Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and DK Metcalf formed a great offensive trio. However, for the 2025 season, the Seahawks cut Lockett and traded DK Metcalf, leaving Jake Bobo and Dareke Young as options to make up the trio.
Thus, there was an urgent need to strengthen the team in that area. The team made a move to sign veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who will reunite with Klint Kubiak (as we predicted last month), since he played for the Saints last year.
Contract
The Seattle Seahawks agreed to a one-year contract worth up to $5.5 million. Details were not disclosed, but I expect much of that amount to be based on production.
Who is Marquez Valdes-Scantling?
Valdes-Scantling was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons there before signing a three-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. He won two Super Bowls in KC but was cut in the third year of his contract.
MVS signed with the Buffalo Bills but was rarely used. He caught just two passes in his six games and was cut when Buffalo traded for Amari Cooper. With the Saints, he quickly became one of Derek Carr’s top targets. He replaced the injured Rashid Shaheed and became the Saints’ primary deep-threat receiver last season. In eight games in Kubiak’s offense, he produced 22.6 yards per reception with four touchdowns on just 17 receptions.
How will MVS be used in Klint Kubiak’s offense?
Kubiak’s play-action offense typically uses an underneath route, which will likely be run by JSN, but it requires a longer deep route, basically high cross, high corner, and back side digs. This should be DK’s responsibility, but after the trade, at least in terms of the role, MVS should fill the role.
A good release and compression of what the defense is doing. He attacks a Cover 2 and threatens vertically to make the safety open his hips and create space on the post route. He also makes a nice adjustment to keep the ball.
The Rams’ CB marks with a cushion, giving himself distance to protect himself from the deep route. In a few steps, MVS is able to close the distance, beat the corner and score the TD.
Over his seven-year career, Valdes-Scantling has averaged 17.4 yards per reception, the highest average among receivers with 200 or more receptions during that period. Of his 205 receptions, 68 of them went for at least 20 yards at a remarkable 33 percent rate, while 13 of his 20 career touchdown receptions went for 20 or more yards.
Something that is not so common, but he can use his speed on end-arounds and jet sweeps.
MVS runs a crosser route, but when he gets to the middle of the field he goes towards the safety. The defender thinks the deep route will be vertical, MVS waits for him to open his hips and takes the flat-footed safety, creating the necessary space for him.
It’s a shame this play wasn’t completed. It was Frankie Luvu and not Bobby Wagner as initially said, but the play is fantastic all the same. Notice the moment he makes the cut, it would be the perfect spot to make the catch and gain yards after the catch. The slight deviation from the LB is enough to prevent the catch.
Valdes-Scantling is the definition of make-or-break. On one play he can have a forty-yard reception, on another he can drop a simple ball. He has over 20 career drops (24) and a drop rate above 9%. That includes last year with the Saints where he had an above-average rate, dropping 13.6% of his passes, according to Pro Football Focus. He has a 42% completion rate on targets, which ranks him third-to-last among 109 players with at least 200 receptions since 2018.
In seven seasons in the league, Valdes-Scantling has never recorded a reception success rate better than 52% and has only reached 50% four times. Last year he fell below 50%, as he caught just 2 of 9 passes thrown his way during his time with the Bills.
Final Thoughts
Right now, he is the team’s WR3 behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp. He has the downfield speed that no other receiver on the current roster has. This is essential for Kubiak’s deep-shot scheme, especially with the Yankee concept, which is one of his favorites.
MVS should be just a stopgap; the Seahawks have a chance to bolster their receiving corps, and do it very well.