Green Bay Packers Re-sign or Let Go & Prediction: Marquez Valdes-Scantling
By Paul Bretl
![Dec 19, 2021; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (83)] divers for a touchdown during the second half HG at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Ff5b0c4344b9aaf9c8608b5067da823c8cd038600ecb3592d6915382a14d548d5.jpg "Dec 19, 2021; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (83)] divers for a touchdown during the second half HG at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports")
As we move along with my Re-sign or Let Go & Prediction series, we get to Green Bay Packers big-play receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Among the many decisions that Brian Gutekunst and Russ Ball have to make this offseason, the Packers also have 14 unrestricted free agents that they’ll either try to re-sign or let go. In this series, I am going player by player, taking a look at why Green Bay could re-sign each free agent, why they could let them walk, and I make a prediction at the end.
If you missed any of the previous articles from this series, you can find them below.
Why the Green Bay Packers could keep Marquez Valdes-Scantling
The Green Bay Packers have players who can create big plays, but no one on the roster has 4.37 speed and can do it quite like Marquez Valdes-Scantling can. For his career, MVS is averaging 17.5 yards per catch, including a league-best 20.9 yards in 2020.
But while that is certainly Valdes-Scantling’s calling card, he does offer much more to this offense. The attention that MVS draws from opposing defenses with that speed of his helps create for his teammates–not to mention that the spacing is much better when he’s on the field when opponents are trying to protect against the big play.
Valdes-Scantling has also earned the trust of Aaron Rodgers, and he has expanded his game, becoming much more of a threat on short to intermediate routes — especially over the middle — and although it was a small sample size, he was very efficient from the slot last season.
With MVS missing time in 2021 due to injuries, the Packers saw their explosive play rate decline from 2020 — which, of course, is not a coincidence — and in the playoff game against San Francisco, Valdes-Scantling’s presence was greatly missed. The 49ers did not fear the deep ball, and that made generating chunk plays more difficult with the defense playing closer to the line of scrimmage. I also have to mention MVS’ ability as a blocker in the run game as well.
Without Valdes-Scantling back, the big play ability of this offense takes an obvious hit, but so does the offense as a whole with everything else that he provides.