9 NFL Veterans Whose Jobs Are Safe From 2017 Rookies
Cameron Meredith
Cameron Meredith has been underappreciated since he came out for the 2015 NFL Draft and went unselected. The Chicago Bears scooped him up, stashed him, and didn’t need to fully unleash him due to a clogged receiver depth chart ahead of him until they went into full rebuild mode.
Meredith got called upon for 97 targets in 2016, and he delivered an above-average 0.68 Reception NEP per target (46th out of 92 receivers over 50 targets). While last year was solid, there was a possibility the Bears would add value to their receiver room with Alshon Jeffery exiting in free agency, Eddie Royal receiving walking papers, and Kevin White still a wild card.
The biggest moves the Bears made to add outside help were ex-busts Kendall Wright, Markus Wheaton, and Rueben Randle -- but they didn’t draft a soul at the position. Meredith will get every chance to start this year, and he can continue to build on a solid 2016 season while the Bears press the reset button.