ASCENDING TALENT
Pro Football Focus recently did a fascinating study trying to determine which wide receivers in the NFL were the best at running each specific passing route in the tree. For example, the Ravens’ Mike Wallace was tops at running slants, superstar Julio Jones dominated in and out routes and A.J. Green was a master at posts and corners.
One wouldn’t think that a Bears receiver would even be on the list. Turns out that’s not entirely true. Chicago is in fact represented, and not by the man everybody is likely thinking of at this very moment. It was none other than Cameron Meredith, and his weapon of choice? The double move.
“Cameron Meredith scored four touchdowns in 2016, two on double moves. Meredith caught all 5 of his targets for 131 yards and 2 touchdowns. He had a perfect receiver rating of 158.3 and averaged 26.2 yards per catch. He caught 37 of the 49 passes thrown to him when running just the first aspect of the route i.e. just the slant, not the slant and go, which lured defenders into sitting on the first move, allowing Meredith to explode by them.”
Meredith showcased that ability from the very beginning this past season. Once he elevated into the starting lineup, he broke out in a game against the Indianapolis Colts with 130 yards and a touchdown. It was that TD, the first of his career where he showcased how adept he is at running the double move.
THE DOUBLE MOVE
The play is first set up by running back Jordan Howard, who rumbles for a 57-yard gain into Colts territory. With the defense now on its heels, the timing is right for taking a shot at the end zone. Meredith gets a clean release off the line of scrimmage into his route. As the cornerback draws closer in coverage, Meredith sells the act of turning in for a quick curl. The defender tries to get a jump on the play, but instead Meredith flies right past him. Thus he’s wide open for the touchdown.
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This was one of the first revelations of just how good Meredith was becoming as a legitimate receiver. Chicago had found him out of Illinois State as an undrafted free agent in 2015. A man who actually started college as a quarterback. It’s amazing to think how far he’s come and how quickly he’s progressed in such a short span of time.
He finished last season with 66 catches for 888 yards and four touchdowns. Two of his final three games went for over 100 yards. It’s looking more and more like the Bears found themselves a hidden gem. People still aren’t ready to trust that he’s a potential long-term fixture, but given his rapid progress it’s becoming harder to deny.
