Bills seen as ideal landing spot for Super Bowl-winning WR

It’s never a bad idea to add experience and championship pedigree to a group of youngsters, right?

The Buffalo Bills overhauled their receiving corps during the 2024 NFL offseason, moving on from veterans Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis while refocusing the unit around youth in the form of rookie Keon Coleman and contributor third year Khalil Shakir. Although the team has added external reinforcements like Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins and (likely training camp corps) Chase Claypool, it appears Buffalo plans to rely on young, relatively inexperienced passers for the vast majority of its aerial activities. production (especially when you factor second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid into the equation).

The turnover and resulting inexperience at the position has prompted some experts to question the potential productivity and long-term sustainability of the unit, with many feeling the Bills still need to make another one or two moves at the wide receiver position. One writer believes a back-to-back Super Bowl champion could be a beneficial acquisition for Buffalo; In his recent article highlighting a currently unsigned veteran who could help bolster every NFL contender, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox identified former Kansas City Chiefs player Marquez Valdes-Scantling as a potential candidate for the Bills.

“There is room for another receiver in Buffalo’s lineup, especially one who can spread the field like Diggs once did,” Knox wrote. “Getting back former conference rival Marquez Valdes-Scantling would be a great move for the Bills. Valdes-Scantling hasn’t been particularly consistent in his two years with the Kansas City Chiefs, but he has stood out during the 2023 playoffs, including two catches for 62 yards against Buffalo in the divisional round.

Related: Bills defense falls in 2024 NFL defensive rankings

“After winning back-to-back Super Bowls with the Chiefs, Valdes-Scantling could also help show the Bills what is needed to take that proverbial next step. Plus, any insight he could provide on how to beat Kansas City in the playoffs would be extremely valuable.

It’s a potential marriage that, on paper, makes sense; the Bills could use more experience and general bodies in the receiving corps, and Valdes-Scantling, while not a world champion, has not been unproductive throughout his career, catching 186 passes for 3,155 yards and 16 touchdowns during his six seasons in the NFL. He would act as a fast, massive threat and occasional slot option for quarterback Josh Allen, and Buffalo’s front office has shown (slight) interest in “MVS” in the past; the team held a late pre-draft workout with the then-USF Bull before the 2018 NFL Draft.

While it’s not a blatant suggestion given the Bills’ situation at receiver, Buffalo’s signing of Valdes-Scantling wouldn’t necessarily shake things up. He wouldn’t jump Coleman, Shakir or Samuel on the depth chart to become an immediate starter. He likely wouldn’t contribute on special teams, as according to Pro Football Focus, he hasn’t played on special teams regularly since his rookie season. At 29, there probably isn’t much “untapped potential” either.

This is more of a shuffling of the chairs type of idea: sure, he would add veteran experience to the unit, but is he a long-term option? Do you want him to take shots at potentially interesting developmental pieces like Justin Shorter and Tyrell Shavers, or draft picks like Claypool or KJ Hamler?

A potential signing of Valdes-Scantling is an interesting idea to revisit if Buffalo doesn’t like the way its receiving corps is shaking in training camp, but at this point the team seems happy to roll with the youth collection and the skills she currently employs. .