Saints 2018 Year in Review: Cameron Meredith

Big things have been expected in the career of Cameron Meredith after a breakout campaign in 2016 with the Chicago Bears. Then a series of severe knee injuries kept Meredith off the field for the entirety of the 2017 season. The New Orleans Saints took a risk in the 2018 free agent period, signing Meredith to a two-year deal to bring him to the Bayou. It was reported the Bears were not too thrilled with Meredith’s prognosis in his recovery from his knee injury, and were perfectly fine letting him walk away.

As a member of the Saints, Meredith only saw limited action. Meredith appeared in only six games, starting just one, and caught nine of ten targets for 114 total yards and one touchdown. It did appear, when Meredith was on the field, he had rapport with Saints QB Drew Brees, but the chemistry never had a chance to develop Meredith was placed on Injured Reserve after the Week 6 Monday Night matchup against Washington.

Cameron Meredith - At a Glance

• Approximate Value: 1
• Offensive Grade: 57
• Receiving Grade: 56.3
• Snap Count: 126 (11.99%) on offense & 3 (0.70%) on special teams

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Meredith’s big frame made an excellent target for Drew Brees, and helped keep opposing defenses honest from keying in solely on Michael Thomas. In Meredith’s first career touchdown with the Saints, you can see Brees initially looking for Thomas, only to eventually come back to Meredith for the score:

The Saints struggled to find a replacement for Meredith after he was done for the season. The Saints attempted to fill the void with players like Dez Bryant and Brandon Marshall to no avail. While it’s possible Meredith is a cap casualty for a team strapped for cash yet again, it’s more likely the Saints are patient with the veteran wideout and are willing to see what if anything he could provide to the Saints offense in 2019.