Bills bring on speedy receiver on two-year contract
Buffalo added another element of speed on Wednesday.
The Buffalo Bills used their newfound salary cap space to help out quarterback Josh Allen with a speedy wide receiver.
The Bills signed ex-New Orleans Saints wide receiver Deonte Harty to a two-year contract worth a max of $13.5M with $5M guaranteed, a source confirmed. Harty, formerly known as Deonte Harris, has 64 catches for 793 yards with four touchdowns, 15 carries for 123 yards, 77 punt returns for 752 yards and a touchdown and 75 kick returns for 1,907 yards in his four-year career. He caught just two passes for 13 yards last season as he dealt with a foot injury but was coming off his most productive year in 2021 when he caught 36 passes for 570 yards with three touchdowns.
The 5-foot-6, 170-pound receiver was named an All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in 2019 as a return specialist. He lined up out wide and in the slot on offense.
Harty went undrafted out of Assumption College in 2019. He ran a 4.48-second 40-yard dash with a 6.82-second 3-cone time, 4.16-second short shuttle, 33-inch vertical leap and 9-feet, 6-inch broad jump at his college pro day four years ago.
Harty joins Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, Isaiah McKenzie, Khalil Shakir, Isaiah Coulter, KeeSean Johnson and Dezmon Patton on the Bills’ roster at wide receiver.
Harty has never played more than 36 percent of snaps on offense in a given season, but he can be a valuable gadget player on offense and special teams for Buffalo. And he adds another playmaking element to an already dangerous offense that added guard Connor McGovern to help protect Allen.
