In a fairly low-profile move, the Bills mixed up their receiving depth chart last week. They released Isaiah McKenzie, who served as their No. 3 at times last year, while signing free agent Deonte Harty. Potentially, it gives the team a deep threat they've lacked in recent years.
It's a tw0-year, $13.5 million deal, with $5 million guaranteed. Kind of a lot for a player a lot of people haven't even heard of. He barely played last season, appearing in only four games and catching just 2 passes for New Orleans, suffering an early foot injury. Moreover, he changed his name from when he'd actually made an NFL impact.
As Deonte Harris, he was an all-pro return man back in 2019. More recently, though, he was a viable deep threat as a No. 3 receiver for the Saints in 2021. That year he caught 36 passes for 570 yards and 3 touchdowns, averaging nearly 16 yards per catch. Among all wide receivers to catch at least 30 passes in either of the last two seasons, that was a top-15 number.
| YARDS PER CATCH, 2021-2022 (30-PLUS RECEPTIONS) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Year | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD |
| Deebo Samuel | 2021 | 77 | 1405 | 18.2 | 6 |
| Jaylen Waddle | 2022 | 75 | 1356 | 18.1 | 8 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | 2021 | 81 | 1455 | 18.0 | 13 |
| Donovan Peoples-Jones | 2021 | 34 | 597 | 17.6 | 3 |
| Gabriel Davis | 2022 | 48 | 836 | 17.4 | 7 |
| DeVante Parker | 2022 | 31 | 539 | 17.4 | 3 |
| A.J. Brown | 2022 | 88 | 1496 | 17.0 | 11 |
| Bryan Edwards | 2021 | 34 | 571 | 16.8 | 3 |
| Corey Davis | 2022 | 32 | 536 | 16.8 | 2 |
| DJ Chark | 2022 | 30 | 502 | 16.7 | 3 |
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling | 2022 | 42 | 687 | 16.4 | 2 |
| Tyler Lockett | 2021 | 73 | 1175 | 16.1 | 8 |
| Van Jefferson | 2021 | 50 | 802 | 16.0 | 6 |
| Deonte Harty | 2021 | 36 | 570 | 15.8 | 3 |
| Darius Slayton | 2022 | 46 | 724 | 15.7 | 2 |
| A.J. Green | 2021 | 54 | 848 | 15.7 | 3 |
| Gabriel Davis | 2021 | 35 | 549 | 15.7 | 6 |
| Terry McLaurin | 2022 | 77 | 1191 | 15.5 | 5 |
| George Pickens | 2022 | 52 | 801 | 15.4 | 4 |
| Marquez Callaway | 2021 | 46 | 698 | 15.2 | 6 |
| Davante Adams | 2022 | 100 | 1516 | 15.2 | 14 |
| Mike Williams | 2021 | 76 | 1146 | 15.1 | 9 |
| Quez Watkins | 2021 | 43 | 647 | 15.0 | 1 |
| Justin Jefferson | 2021 | 108 | 1616 | 15.0 | 10 |
| Jahan Dotson | 2022 | 35 | 523 | 14.9 | 7 |
| Emmanuel Sanders | 2021 | 42 | 626 | 14.9 | 4 |
| Christian Watson | 2022 | 41 | 611 | 14.9 | 7 |
| Amari Cooper | 2022 | 78 | 1160 | 14.9 | 9 |
| Brandon Aiyuk | 2021 | 56 | 826 | 14.8 | 5 |
| Tee Higgins | 2021 | 74 | 1091 | 14.7 | 6 |
| Mike Evans | 2022 | 77 | 1124 | 14.6 | 6 |
| Chase Claypool | 2021 | 59 | 860 | 14.6 | 2 |
| Kendrick Bourne | 2021 | 55 | 800 | 14.5 | 5 |
| Jerry Jeudy | 2022 | 67 | 972 | 14.5 | 6 |
| Chris Olave | 2022 | 72 | 1042 | 14.5 | 4 |
| Corey Davis | 2021 | 34 | 492 | 14.5 | 4 |
| Alec Pierce | 2022 | 41 | 593 | 14.5 | 2 |
| Jalen Guyton | 2021 | 31 | 448 | 14.5 | 3 |
| Tyreek Hill | 2022 | 119 | 1710 | 14.4 | 7 |
| DeVonta Smith | 2021 | 64 | 916 | 14.3 | 5 |
| Mike Williams | 2022 | 63 | 895 | 14.2 | 4 |
| Justin Jefferson | 2022 | 128 | 1809 | 14.1 | 8 |
| D.J. Moore | 2022 | 63 | 888 | 14.1 | 7 |
| Kenny Golladay | 2021 | 37 | 521 | 14.1 | 0 |
| Julio Jones | 2021 | 31 | 434 | 14.0 | 1 |
| Mike Evans | 2021 | 74 | 1035 | 14.0 | 14 |
Buffalo put Gabe Davis on this list in each of the last two years, but perhaps the plan is to use Harty for more of those downfield opportunities. Definitely he's a different kind of player than McKenzie, who did most of his work in close (for his career, McKenzie averages 9.5 yards per catch).
I don't think Harty (who's just 5-foot-6 and 170 pounds) is necessarily going to be a big part of the passing game, but the signing at least suggests the possibility of a significant role, as a return man for sure but also as a No. 3 or at worst 4 in the passing game, giving the offense a downfield weapon. Those participating in best-ball drafts these days could consider him as a late-round option.
--Andy Richardson