The Buffalo Bills took a big gamble on offense last season, parting ways with both of their top two receivers and instead adopting an “everybody eats” approach of spreading pass targets around more evenly.
It mostly worked for the Bills, who turned in one of the league’s top passing attacks despite losing Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. But the team may have missed big on one veteran wide receiver who was released mid-season and now appears on his way to a big role with a new squad.
Bills Make Rare Personnel Mistake
The Bills have earned a reputation under general manager Brandon Beane of strong personnel decisions, rarely missing on talented players and getting the most out of the talent they have on the roster. But last year’s decision to release wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling could be a rare regret, especially after his strong campaign last season and projection to make a big impact in 2025.
The Bills struggled to find a role for the speedy former Green Bay Packers star, who made just two catches for 26 yards in six appearances. The Bills ultimately released Valdes-Scantling in October to make room for the newly acquired Amari Cooper.
The decision backfired quickly, with Valdes-Scantling joining the New Orleans Saints and going on to make 17 receptions for 385 yards and four touchdowns in eight games.
Valdes-Scantling signed with the Seattle Seahawks, with Cameron Van Til of Seattle Sports calling him a “virtual lock” to make the final roster at the end of this summer. The Seahawks, under new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, are expected to roll out many three-receiver formations and utilize Valdes-Scantling in a style similar to the “everybody eats” approach the Bills used.
“Because this offense with Kubiak, he’s gonna be in double tight ends, he’s gonna be more run-heavy, he’s gonna have that fullback involved. You’re not gonna have the four-wideout formations, the five-wideout spread,” said Seahawks Radio Network analyst and former NFL wide receiver Bryan Walters.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s Replacement Struggled
Valdes-Scantling’s replacement in Buffalo had only a limited impact. Though Cooper turned in some big plays, he also went quiet at times including a no-target performance in the team’s win over the Detroit Lions.
The Bills chose not to bring back Cooper after his contract expired, with ESPN’s Matt Bowen ranking him as the No. 2 available free agent left on the market. Bowen noted that Cooper appears to have lost a step, though has proven to be a productive wide receiver in the past.
“Cooper’s tape is beginning to show signs of decline, but he is still a detailed route runner who can uncover at multiple levels of the field,” Bowen wrote. “In 14 games with the Browns and Bills last season, Cooper caught 44 passes for 547 yards and four touchdowns. In nine full seasons, he has topped the 1,000-yard receiving mark seven times and caught 64 career touchdown passes.”
Beane said he was open to bringing Cooper back on a new contract, but there has not been any progress in that direction in the weeks ahead of training camp.
