After spending Monday night and Tuesday morning with the Buffalo Bills, Marquez Valdes-Scantling wasn’t allowed to walk away. In a recent development, the Bills have inked a one-year contract with Valdes-Scantling, valued at a maximum of $4.5 million, which includes a $1.125 million signing bonus, according to various reports.
The Buffalo Bills have enlisted former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to bolster their passing game alongside Josh Allen. General manager Brandon Beane has been steadily adding receivers to the roster since trading Stefon Diggs, aiming for collective improvement in production.
Details of Valdes-Scantling’s contract emerged swiftly, with Beane employing Not Likely To Be Earned incentives to keep the financial burden on Buffalo’s salary cap minimal. According to Adam Schefter, the deal could reach up to $4.5 million.
As part of the agreement, Valdes-Scantling secured a $1.125 million signing bonus and a base salary of $1.125 million. While it’s conceivable that the base salary is fully guaranteed, this detail has not been confirmed. The remainder of the contract is contingent on performance.
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The Collective Bargaining Agreement distinguishes between Likely To Be Earned (LTBE) and Not Likely To Be Earned (NLTBE) incentives. LTBE incentives are based on benchmarks met in the previous season, while NLTBE incentives were not achieved. NLTBE incentives do not impact the current year’s salary cap but are added to the following year’s cap if achieved.
Given Valdes-Scantling’s somewhat subdued performance last season, Beane opted for a contract structure that wouldn’t overly burden the team financially. However, considering his previous successful seasons, Valdes-Scantling likely sought a more lucrative deal. The use of incentives serves as a compromise to reward performance while mitigating financial risk. Considering the current lineup of receivers for the Bills, Valdes-Scantling stands a good chance of meeting these incentives.
