Cameron

Meredith

On the PUP list since the day he signed with the Patriots in early August, Meredith apparently wasn’t getting healthy at a fast enough rate. 27-year-old Meredith’s career has been in free fall since his devastating 2017 preseason knee injury. He has made only six appearances since. He’s unfortunately in danger of falling out of the league.

The PUP designation will cost him the first six games of 2019. Once healthy, the 26-year-old should serve as wideout depth behind starters Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry and Phillip Dorsett.

Meredith’s knee issues were one of the reasons he was cut from the Saints. The Patriots plan to move him slowly, but he doesn’t look like a reserve/PUP candidate, which would cost him the first six games. When healthy, Meredith will push for one of New England’s final receiver spots.

And so continues New England’s endless pursuit of wide receiver depth. Concerningly, Meredith will stay behind to receive treatment on his injured knee while his teammates travel to Detroit next week for joint practices with the Lions. Meredith’s ailing knee likely played a role in his release from the Saints earlier this week, though clearly he showed the Patriots enough in his workouts to warrant a roster spot. This could be bad news for Dontrelle Inman, who was already on the roster fringe before New England brought in Meredith.

Meredith is reportedly “in the New England area,” suggesting the Patriots are either giving him a second look or plan on signing him. The 26-year-old barely saw the field in New Orleans last season, logging a meager 9-114-1 receiving line over 126 snaps. Meredith made some noise in Chicago early in his career but has mostly been a non-factor since tearing his ACL two years ago. There’s opportunity for him in Foxboro, where the Patriots are relatively thin at receiver behind starters Julian Edelman (currently out with a broken thumb) and 2019 first-rounder N’Keal Harry.

Meredith broke out with 66 catches for 888 yards and four touchdowns back in 2016, but an ACL tear the following preseason sent his career spiraling. The Saints took a shot on Meredith with a two-year, $9.6 million offer sheet last year, but the receiver never fully recovered and ended up playing in just six games. Only 26, Meredith should get another shot, but he will need to prove he is healthy.

Holder expects the Saints to keep six wideouts, but doesn’t anticipate Meredith being one of them. “Not trying to sound harsh, but the Saints can’t wait on Meredith if he can’t practice,” Holder explained, alluding to the lingering knee issue that kept him out of OTAs. Coming off an injury-marred debut season in New Orleans, the 26-year-old will need to get healthy and fast if he wants to maintain his roster spot. Holder also considers free-agent flyer Rishard Matthews a long shot for the final 53.

Meredith confirms he is still battling the knee issue that wrecked each of his past two seasons. Meredith is trying to put a positive spin on a tough situation, but the reality is, he’s not going to make the team as things stand right now.

Meredith was reportedly “coming along well” in Saints OTAs, but it is obviously concerning that he is still not practicing after another lost season in 2018. At this point, Meredith would seem to be on the outside looking in of a 53-man roster spot.

Meredith, who barely played last season before his chronic knee issues sent him to injured reserve, took a $2.1 million pay cut in March. “He’s on the sideline, but they say probably next week he can do a little bit more,” Saints WRs coach Curtis Johnson said Thursday. “But he looks healthy. He looks good. He looks like he’s coming along well.” Meredith’s spot on the 53-man roster is far from assured.