The New England Patriots could use some depth at wide receiver, and they addressed that need by adding Cameron Meredith to the mix. Meredith has battled knee injuries over the past two years and has recorded just nine receptions since 2016. However, the former New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears wide receiver offers plenty of upside and carries minimal risk.
Cameron Meredith A Low-Risk, High-Reward Add For New England Patriots
Meredith initially entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2015. However, by 2016, Meredith was arguably the top option in Chicago’s offense. The Illinois State product recorded 66 receptions for 888 yards and four touchdowns during his second year in the league. For a minute, he looked like one of the better young receivers in the league.
However, the wheels fell off the wagon when Meredith tore his ACL in 2017. Meredith missed the entirety of that season before signing on with the Saints in 2018. Unfortunately, he still couldn’t escape the injury bug. Meredith recorded just nine receptions in six games before suffering yet another knee injury. He isn’t fully recovered, as New England already put him on the Physically Unable to Perform list.
If Meredith can get healthy, he’s a perfect fit for New England’s offense. At 6’-3” and 207 pounds, Meredith wins his routes by using his size and strength. This makes Meredith one of many larger receivers to join New England, as Bill Belichick is clearly trying to zig while the rest of the league zags.
Meredith is a solid route runner with the ability to win in the deep and intermediate part of the field. While he’s not remarkably fast, his large frame and impressive feet allow him to gain separation when not facing press coverage. Additionally, he can line up inside or outside, which is a huge bonus in New England’s offense. He didn’t play much in 2018, but he looked good when he was on the field.
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The Injury Factor
Of course, Meredith is anything but a guarantee to play a role in the offense. The Illinois State product hasn’t been healthy in two years, which is obviously a bad thing. Knee injuries, in particular, can be devastating for a career and there’s no guarantee Meredith ever finds his old form. Last we saw him, Meredith still had the ability to run routes and win with size and strength. However, he didn’t demonstrate the same explosive playmaking skills after the catch that he had in Chicago.
One of the reasons Meredith was so successful in 2016 is that he had a penchant for creating yards after the catch. On several occasions, the undrafted free agent used his quickness to mess up a defenders balance before turning on the jets and blowing past his man. That elusiveness wasn’t there in New Orleans, although he obviously didn’t play much with the Saints.
The good news is that he wasn’t completely reliant on quickness to pick up extra yardage. Thanks to his larger frame, he had the ability to plow over defenders and drag defensive backs for additional yardage. Even if he can’t find his old explosiveness, he should still be able to make plays with his size and route running.
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Ultimately, this is the perfect low-risk, high-reward signing for New England. If Meredith works out, then New England has someone who could compete for the WR2 position behind Julian Edelman. If it doesn’t work, then no harm done. The exact financial details are not yet available to the public, but it’s safe to assume New England didn’t need too much money to acquire Meredith’s services. If he can’t stay healthy, the Patriots can presumably part ways without any financial burden.
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