XLIV 5 Years Later: The Future of Robert Meachem

On February 7, 2010 in Super Bowl XLIV, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Robert Meachem had 2 receptions for 6 yards, a mediocre stat line that belies a career season for the second-year wideout.  In the 2009 season, Meachem had 45 receptions for 722 yards and 9 touchdowns, all career highs.  His combination of length and athleticism made for a difficult matchup for the competition.  Meachem also had the signature play of his career in Week 13 of the 2009 season at Washington.

Meachem is one of two of the eight remaining champion Saints who left the franchise for brief stints with another team.  In Meachem's case, he had an extremely disappointing season with the San Diego Chargers in 2012 and was released by the team at final roster cuts before the 2013 season.  Meachem returned to the Saints two days later, signing a one-year deal.  He re-signed to another one-year contract one year to the day later.  Since his return, Meachem has had little impact on the Saints offense, posting career lows in every measurable category in the 2014 season.

It's clear that Meachem's time in New Orleans needs to come to an end.  His production, impact, and durability are all in steep decline at this point in his career.  It would be pointless to re-sign Meachem to another one-year deal or any deal for that matter.  The Saints need to go younger and more dynamic at wideout in 2015, whether that comes in-house, like Brandon Coleman, through free agency, or through the draft, change needs to begin now.  Some value Meachem's perceived blocking ability but it's just not nearly enough to continue to go back to this dry well.

Meachem's contributions to the 2009 Saints season and subsequent Super Bowl XLIV title will not be forgotten, but like most of that roster before him, it's time to part ways.