It’s no fun to think about Cameron Meredith replacement options, but that has since become a necessity. Word has filtered out that the promising Chicago Bears receiver likely tore the ACL in his left knee. It’s a brutal setback for the team and also a young man who seemed on the verge of stardom. Now it falls to GM Ryan Pace to somehow fill that void.
The Bears were already thin at receiver to begin with. They couldn’t reach a deal with Alshon Jeffery, who chose to sign on in Philadelphia. That result admittedly looking painful now in hindsight. Nonetheless there’s no time to cry and moan about it. The regular season is 13 days away and the team needs to have the best weapons they can find.
It will come down to how much they trust who they have left on the roster and how aggressive they want to be. Knowing Pace and his keen eye for talent, it’s not crazy to believe he can find a workaround to this problem.
Cameron Meredith replacement options:
Vincent Jackson (Free Agent)
The name hasn’t been mentioned much lately. That’s a bit of a surprise. Even though V-Jax is 34-years old, he still presents a nice big target for his quarterbacks. Unfortunately he suffered a major regression in 2015 and 2016 due in large part to injuries. He’s had a full offseason to heal though. When health in 2014 he produced 1,000 yards. As a short-term option he wouldn’t be a bad phone call to make.
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Stevie Johnson (Free Agent)
Another highly productive veteran receiver who went through a spat of injury issues over the past three seasons. Stevie Johnson can be electric when his body is right. He had 497 yards in just 10 games last year. At 31-years old there’s reason to think he has another good year in him. Of course health is paramount but there’s no doubt the Bears could get him for cheap and he’d be a good fit for their offense.
Phillip Dorsett (Possible Cut)
The waiver wire is almost certainly a tool that Pace will utilize to the fullest advantage. Chicago has prime position thanks to their high draft status this offseason, which means they can nearly first dibs on players waived by other teams. One big name that is floating around as a possibility is Phillip Dorsett. The former first round pick brings a ton of speed to the equation, something the Bears sorely lack. It seems Indianapolis isn’t interested in finding a place for him.
Trade idea: Allen Hurns to NYJ/CHI for a 5th round pick, flip 5th and Chris Ivory to NYG for Justin Pugh
— Zach Goodall (@zach_goodall) August 24, 2017
Allen Hurns (Trade)
Pace has shown he’s not afraid to dabble in the trade market when it comes to player acquisition. Granted they’ve all come in the draft but the point stands. Word has persisted that the Jacksonville Jaguars may be trying to move on from 25-year old Allen Hurns. This after he just signed a contract extension in 2016. Hurns had over 1,000 yards in 2015 but regressed last year. QB play may have had a lot to do with that though. Hurns would present the sort of bigger target Meredith was at 6’3″ as well.
Jarvis Landry (Trade)
This is by far the biggest name on the list. Jarvis Landry is still on his rookie contract with the Miami Dolphins and is already a two-time Pro Bowler. However, the team feels he might be intent on asking for #1 receiver money. While he’s earned it through his play, there’s a belief they don’t see him as worth that kind of cap hit. All one would have to do to get convinced otherwise is watch him play.
The guy is a human highlight reel who is not only a tremendous receiver but a fine punt returner as well. Problem is the Dolphins know this too. Even though they might not want to pay him, they understand his value. Odds are it would take a first round pick, maybe more in order to get him in a deal. That doesn’t sound like the kind of trade Pace would make. Still, it’s a situation worth monitoring.
