Getty This Packers' FA WR makes sense for the Falcons.
Wide receivers are in short supply for the Atlanta Falcons. Or at least that’s how things are shaping up this offseason.
Trade rumors continue to swirl around the lone marquee wideout on the roster. That situation is compounded by the leader at the position in 2021 being set to enter free agency.
One Falcons writer has an interesting solution to a looming dilemma for general manager Terry Fontenot. It would involve the cash-strapped Falcons finding some free-agency dollars to sign a member of the Green Bay Packers, a useful deep threat who would expand Atlanta’s pedestrian passing game.
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‘Middle Tier’ Option Suggested for WR-Needy Falcons
Assessing the team options at the position, Falcons.com Digital Managing Editor Scott Bair identified Packers’ flanker Marquez Valdes-Scantling as a receiver the Falcons should consider: “There are some interesting options in free agency’s middle tier, including Emmanuel Sanders or Will Fuller, who might be had on strong one-year deals. Marquez Valdes-Scantling could be an option as well.”
Bair’s argument is based on the number of potential outgoings from the receiver room the Falcons may endure in the next few months. He was asked about the futures of Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage: “If Ridley is moved, they only have Frank Darby under contract. They’ll have to add several to assemble the depth chart. I believe they should re-sign Gage if his market doesn’t go nuts, draft a pass catcher in the middle rounds and find guys everywhere good at creating yards after the catch.”
Predicting what happens to the Falcons’ primary wide receivers is tricky business. Ridley’s status has been in doubt ever since he stepped away from football during the 2021 season to look after his mental wellbeing.
Ridley is tipped to be trade bait this offseason. The Falcons could offload his $11.6 million salary for 2022 to a host of candidates, including the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears and New England Patriots, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Any deal for Ridley would pave the way for Gage to build on his impressive performances from late in the season. He stepped up in Ridley’s absence and, as ESPN reporter Michael Rothstein pointed out, consistently produced solid numbers:
Numbers like those make Gage look like a keeper. The only problem is they also make it inevitable the 26-year-old will draw interest when free agency opens on Wednesday, March 16.
If that happens, the Falcons will want to avoid any bidding war while Fontenot is dealing with only limited cap space. Especially when Gage’s fellow receivers, Tajae Sharpe, Olamide Zaccheaus and Christian Blake are also free agents.
It would make more sense to snap up a veteran on a one-year, cost-effective deal. Valdes-Scantling would be a bargain in this scenario.
MVS a Smart Fit for Matt Ryan
There’s one obvious reason why Valdes-Scantling is a smart fit for the Falcons. He’s the kind of deep threat who would take full advantage of Matt Ryan’s ability to launch vertical strikes from the pocket.
Ryan wasn’t always at his best in 2021, but the 36-year-old proved he still has the arm strength to take the top off defenses, per PFF Fantasy Football:
Highest passer rating on deep throws 20+ yards downfield
🚀 Matt Ryan – 121.7
Ryan still likes to stretch the field, a talent Valdes-Scantling has exhibited from his first day in the pros. He’s averaged more than 15 yards per catch during each of his four seasons in the NFL.
There are issues with the 27-year-old’s game. He hasn’t always been the most precise route-runner, nor has he demonstrated trustworthy hands. Those weaknesses mean Valdes-Scantling has rarely emerged as a trusted target for Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Regardless of any problems, though, Valdes-Scantling has expressed a willingness to return to Green Bay, per Brandon Carwile of The Packers Wire:
Marquez Valdes-Scantling said the #Packers “definitely” want him back next season. He also wants to return even if Aaron Rodgers is not the quarterback.
While that sounded pretty definitive, Valdes-Scantling also left the exit door ajar during a subsequent interview with Carwile: “I’m just going to enjoy my offseason, and whenever that time comes, that time comes, whether it’s a new deal here or somewhere else.”
The Falcons could turn Valdes-Scantling’s head, provided Fontenot can free up some space under the salary cap. He’s facing being $5,885,266 above the cap, according to Spotrac.com.
If he can wheel and deal his way into some breathing space, Fontenot should be able to put a contract in front of Valdes-Scantling that exceeds the $2,237,389 he made in 2021.