They may not be done on that front, however. The Chargers are set to host Marquez Valdes-Scantling on a visit Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The veteran has been on the market since his Chiefs release early in the offseason. The only team connected to him during his stay on the open market has been the Chargers.
Los Angeles created a pair of notable vacancies at the WR spot by releasing Mike Williams and trading Keenan Allen. The team turned down the opportunity to add Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze at the No. 5 pick in the draft, electing instead to select offensive tackle Joe Alt. The Bolts nevertheless brought in three rookie wideouts by drafting Ladd McConkey in the second round before following up with Brenden Rice and Cornelius Johnson in the seventh.
Those moves did not preclude further action on the part of Los Angeles’ new regime. General manager Joe Hortiz and head coach Jim Harbaugh have made it clear the team will lean heavily on the ground game based on their roster-building decisions to date, but room exists for more wideout additions. Los Angeles is among the teams which has shown interest in Tyler Boyd, though a Valdes-Scantling agreement could take the team out of the running on that front.
The latter averaged just under 16 yards per catch while helping win the Super Bowl in each of his two Kansas City campaigns. After letting him go, though, the Chiefs inked Marquise Brown in free agency and drafted fellow speedster Xavier Worthy in the first round of the draft. Valdes-Scantling is thus set up to play for a new team in 2024, though the Chargers’ ongoing interest means he could still find himself in the AFC West next season.
The 29-year-old’s best season came in 2020 (33-690-6 statline), and he has remained a deep threat since then. Drops have been a talking point during his career, however, and his skillset overlaps considerably with that of Chark. Still, Valdes-Scantling could compete for a notable role with the likes of Quentin Johnston and Josh Palmer if his Chargers visit were to yield a contract.
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