Chicago Bears: Possible Cameron Meredith Draft Replacements
By Erik Lambert
Why were Chicago Bears fans so torn up about losing Cameron Meredith? A number of reasons could explain, most of them understandable.
One must remember that they still have vivid nightmares of what happened with Alshon Jeffery. A productive wide receiver leaves Chicago, joins the Philadelphia Eagles and promptly wins the Super Bowl. Now here’s Meredith, their leading receiver from 2016, leaving via free agency to join the New Orleans Saints. A team many consider a favorite for the Super Bowl this year. It’s hard not to feel a tinge of deja vu.
Then there’s the homegrown factor. Meredith in every sense was just that for the Bears. He grew up in Illinois, went to Illinois State and turned himself into an effective pro for Chicago. Why would a team willingly let go of such a good story? Most will say money but it’s hard not to feel like that terrible knee injury Meredith suffered plays a part in this.
Either way, there’s no question wide receiver jumps higher on the to-do list for GM Ryan Pace.
Bears should have a solid array of replacement options in the draft
It’s important to maintain some clarify here. The men in charge of this overhaul for the Bears know their business. Pace found Meredith in undrafted free agency. Head coach Matt Nagy did great work in Kansas City developing unheralded receivers like Tyreek Hill (5th round) pick and Albert Wilson (undrafted). It shouldn’t be too hard for them to find another receiver.
Who might they have in mind? Well, this is Nagy’s offense and in Kansas City, he seemed to prioritize two things: speed and route running. That’s no surprise. The first is desired for a spread system and the other is necessary for a West Coast style. Both of which make up the Nagy scheme. So this would make sense.
Next: Chicago Bears: Where Is Ryan Pace At His Best In the Draft?
Some names that stand out in those categories are Calvin Ridley (Alabama), Christian Kirk (Texas A&M), Anthony Miller (Memphis), D.J. Moore (Maryland), Dante Pettis (Washington), Michael Gallup (Colorado State) and Daesean Hamilton (Penn State). All but Ridley should be available to the Bears in the second round or later a few weeks from now. Equanimeous St. Brown (Notre Dame) and Keke Coutee (Texas Tech) should also be included. That’s a sizable list to pick from. Pace certainly knows all about them at this point so it’s a matter of Nagy figuring out which will fit best.