Speed and big-play ability will make Green Bay Packers receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling a coveted player capable of commanding a big deal in free agency.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network included Valdes-Scantling in his annual list of seven players who will get paid “more than you think” in free agency. Pelissero’s estimate for the speedy receiver? Possibly north of $10 million per year on a new deal.
The Packers will likely be hard-pressed to fit that kind of financial commitment onto the salary cap in 2022.
Despite fighting through drops in 2020 and injuries in 2021, Valdes-Scantling still produced 19.0 yards per catch, 9.5 yards per target and nine touchdowns over the last two seasons. He led the NFL in yards per catch and catches of 40-plus yards in 2020.
Teams always pay for vertical speed and explosive plays in the passing game. A deal worth $10 million per year makes sense for Valdes-Scantling when considering players such as Curtis Samuel, Nelson Agholor and Will Fuller signed contracts over $10 million per year last offseason.
Spotrac believes Valdes-Scantling’s value sits at $8.7 million per year, but the market could easily push that number closer to $10 million.
The Packers will want to keep him. He has been consistently praised by both coach Matt LaFleur and quarterback Aaron Rodgers, not just for his improvement as a young player, but for his value in terms of spreading the field and helping others get open in the scheme. Valdes-Scantling is 6-4 and runs the 40-yard dash in under 4.4 seconds, giving him the ideal combination of length and straight-line speed for playing an important role in modern NFL offenses.
If the Packers lose Valdes-Scantling in free agency, the team will almost have to use the draft to fill the void. Luckily, this draft class is full of speedy receivers.
The Packers made Valdes-Scantling a fifth-round pick in the 2018 draft. He has 123 career catches for 2,153 yards and 13 touchdowns.
