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Cameron Meredith

North Notes: Browns, Vikings, Meredith

March 31st, 2018 at 6:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings are working on a deal that would bring Terence Newman back to the Twin Cities, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. Newman has expressed a desire to not only return for his age-40 season but do so with the Vikings. However, Tomasson confirms a previous report that money is an issue for a potential re-up. Newman made $3.58MM in 2017. Minnesota reached an agreement to re-sign Marcus Sherels and has Mackensie Alexander back for a third year behind their the team’s starting duo. Newman played in 16 games last season and remained a mid-tier corner in the opinion of Pro Football Focus despite his age.

Here’s the latest from the North divisions as we enter draft month.

  • Connected mostly to Sam Darnold and Josh Allen at No. 1 overall, the Browns are still publicly expressing their interest in the big four quarterbacks at this juncture of the process. But Hue Jackson is “very close” to finalizing a preference to bring to John Dorsey and has said he would like a quarterback whose mobility is relatively in step with Tyrod Taylor‘s, as opposed to a stationary passer. The Baker Mayfield interest is believed to be genuine, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports, adding the Heisman Trophy winner enjoyed a “great” workout with the Browns this week. The team is expected to bring Allen, Darnold, Mayfield and Josh Rosen in for visits before the draft.
  • Darnold-to-Cleveland has been the scenario most discussed around the league at this point, Terry Pluto of cleveland.com writes. While Pluto doesn’t discount the idea of the Browns going in a different direction, he has not heard anything lately connecting the team to Rosen. The UCLA quarterback was not exactly a portrait of enthusiasm about a potential Browns union when that subject surfaced late last year.
  • After the Browns take their quarterback at No. 1, Pluto expects them to select Bradley Chubb at No. 4. The caveat of the N.C. State dynamo being available should obviously be included, but with the Jets expected to take a QB at No. 3 and it making sense for the Giants to do the same at 2, the Browns could have the inside track on selecting the top quarterback and top non-quarterback in the draft. Jackson hasn’t exactly been evasive about envisioning what Chubb would bring to the Browns’ defense.
  • The Vikings still had concerns about Teddy Bridgewater‘s knee after the 2017 regular season, despite the quarterback being activated midway through the year. Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune notes these concerns affected the team’s approach regarding the former first-round pick this offseason. “The reports I’d get back from the medical people weren’t as positive as I was about it,” Mike Zimmer said. “That’s kind of how it came down is that his knee wasn’t as … he still has some recovery to do. When I watched him in practice he moved well, I didn’t see limitations but from what I’m told there was some.” The Vikings deactivated Bridgewater for both of their playoff games, and his Jets contract is light on guarantees.
  • Having brought in several UFA or RFA wideouts for visits recently, the Ravens may have a favorite among these pass-catchers. Baltimore is believed to be particularly high on Cameron Meredith, Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun reports. Given the low-end tender by the Bears, Meredith joined fellow RFA Willie Snead and UFA Michael Floyd in trekking to Maryland for visits this month. Meredith’s met with the Colts and Saints as well, doing so after missing the entire 2017 season. The 25-year-old former UDFA, though, broke out with 888 receiving yards for the 2016 Bears. The Bears have $27.5MM in cap space compared to the Ravens’ $10.7MM figure, for offer-matching purposes.

Saints Meet With WR Cameron Meredith

March 26th, 2018 at 3:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints met with Bears restricted free agent wideout Cameron Meredith on Saturday, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

Chicago tendered Meredith at the original round level, meaning the Saints — or any other club that signs Meredith to an offer sheet — wouldn’t be required to give the Bears draft pick compensation if Chicago opts not to match an offer sheet. New Orleans is now the third club to take a visit with Meredith, joining the Colts and Ravens.

Meredith is coming off a torn ACL, so his free agent visits are likely involving medical checks. But if his knee is clean, Meredith could be a bargain addition for an interested team. In 2016, the now-25-year-old Meredith posted 66 receptions for 888 yards and four touchdowns. Given that he tore his ACL last September, Meredith should conceivably be ready for the start of the 2018 campaign, or at least soon thereafter.

The Saints, for their part, don’t have much depth behind starters Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr. New Orleans tendered Willie Snead at the original round level (and has witnessed him take a visit with the Ravens), while the team non-tendered Brandon Coleman. Meredith could theoretically replace Snead as the Saints’ slot receiver, and provide depth alongside Tommylee Lewis, Austin Carr, and Paul Turner.

Ravens Meet With Cameron Meredith

March 21st, 2018 at 3:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens will host Bears restricted free agent wide receiver Cameron Meredith on a visit, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The meeting will primarily take place on Thursday. 

Meredith took a visit with the Colts on Tuesday and the Ravens are now the second known team to meet with him. The Bears opted to use the original round tender on Meredith earlier this month, so a team can sign him to an offer sheet without fear of losing draft picks.

Meredith, 25, is coming off a torn ACL, but he can be a major value addition if he’s healthy. In 2016, Meredith caught 66 passes for 888 yards in just 10 starts.

The Ravens bolstered their wide receiver corps this offseason by signing Michael Crabtree and John Brown, but they’re still scouring the market for additions, including Meredith and fellow restricted free agent Willie Snead.

Extra Points: Meredith, Curry, Ravens, Vikes

March 20th, 2018 at 9:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Bears restricted free agent wide receiver Cameron Meredith took a visit with the Colts today, and he’s expected to meet with at least one more (unidentified) team, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Chicago somewhat surprisingly used an original round tender on Meredith, so it won’t receive any compensation if it decides not to match an offer sheet for the former undrafted free agent. Meredith, 25, is coming off a torn ACL, so the Colts (and the mystery club) likely want to check the condition of his affected knee. In 2016, Meredith posted 66 receptions and 888 yards in only 10 starts, so he could potentially be a bargain if he gets away from the Bears.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Defensive lineman Vinny Curry confirmed he had the chance to stick with the Eagles (almost assuredly at a reduced rate), but he ultimately secured interest from as many as seven teams before signing with the Buccaneers, according to SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link). Curry joined fellow former Philadelphia defender Beau Allen in inking three-year deals with Tampa Bay, and their respective signings led the Bucs to cut ties with veteran defensive end Robert Ayers. The Eagles reportedly attempted both to trade Curry or lower his 2018 salary before releasing him, as his presence was made superfluous by Philadelphia’s acquisition of Michael Bennett.
  • New Ravens wide receiver John Brown was diagnosed with the sickle cell trait back in 2016, but he claims that’s not impacting his health. “I’m healthy. I’m feeling good,” said Brown, who signed a one-year, $5MM deal with Baltimore (link via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com). “Sickle cell was never part of the problem.” Brown set career highs with 65 receptions for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns for Arizona in 2015, but has not reprised that performance in the last two years. Brown will team with fellow free agent addition Michael Crabtree to give Baltimore a new-look wide receiver corps in 2018.
  • The Broncos are still searching the free agent market for a tight end, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post (Twitter link), who suggests the recently-released Marcedes Lewis could get a look from John Elway & Co. Denver lost blocking tight end Virgil Green to the Chargers last week, and didn’t pursue any of the market’s top tight ends such as Jimmy Graham, Trey Burton, or Tyler Eifert. At present, the Broncos’ TE depth chart is topped by Jeff Heuerman and Jake Butt, but free agents that could speculatively be of interest may include Martellus Bennett, Antonio Gates, Luke Willson, or Brent Celek.
  • Kicker Kai Forbath became the first Vikings unrestricted free agent to re-sign with the club earlier today, and Minnesota still has interest in retaining a number of UFAs, tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Cornerbacks Terence Newman and Marcus Sherels are on the Vikings’ radar, as are offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles and defensive lineman Shamar Stephen. Minnesota could have competition for the latter two, as Sirles has taken a visit with the Panthers, while Stephen was hosted by the division-rival Lions.

Colts Host Cameron Meredith On Visit

March 20th, 2018 at 4:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts hosted Bears restricted free agent Cameron Meredith for a visit, a league source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Bears have the right to match any offer after using the low level tender on Meredith. If they do not match an offer sheet, they will not receive any draft compensation. 

Meredith, 26 in September, missed all of 2017 with a knee injury. Before that, he had a breakout season for Chicago. In 2016, Meredith hauled in 66 receptions for 888 yards and four touchdowns. If healthy, the former undrafted free agent could be a big contributor for the Colts, Bears, or another team in 2018.

The Colts signed Ryan Grant on Tuesday, but their WR group is a bit thin outside of him and T.Y. Hilton. Donte Moncrief left to sign a surprisingly lucrative free agent deal with the Jaguars earlier this month, leaving Indianapolis with a clear need to fill in free agency or the draft.

In other Colts news, the team has signed tight end Eric Ebron, re-signed cornerback Pierre Desir, and added offensive lineman Matt Slauson.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/12/18

March 12th, 2018 at 1:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive-rights free agent tender decisions, with the list being updated throughout the day.

RFAs

Tendered at second-round level:

Tendered at original-round level:

Non-Tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Non-Tendered:

Bears Make Cuts, Reach 53

September 2nd, 2017 at 5:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears took time to announce their 53-man roster, but they got it done before the deadline. Here’s how:

Released:

Officially Placed On IR:

Waived:

Waived/Injured:

NFC Notes: Eagles, Haden, Cowboys

August 30th, 2017 at 6:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Despite earlier reports to the contrary, an Eagles source tells Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) that the team was not in on Joe Haden. The Eagles, the source claims, are content with their young cornerbacks.

It’s quite possible that the Eagles were interested in Haden but were not among the finalists for him, making this all a matter of semantics. In any case, the Eagles were unwilling to approach, match, or exceed the $7MM guarantee that Haden secured in his new three-year deal with the Steelers.

The Eagles will be starting a pair of 23-year-old corners in Jalen Mills and the newly-acquired Ronald Darby. Behind them, they have only one player outside of his 20s in veteran Patrick Robinson. Eventually, rookie Sidney Jones could join the active roster and provide help, but that doesn’t help to boost the group’s experience level.

Here’s more from the NFC:

  • Tests show that Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens, who suffered a tibial plateau fracture recently, suffered no ligament damage, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. That means that no surgery will be needed and that, in theory, could help to speed up recovery. In a press release, the Cowboys indicated that Hitchens likely will not go on IR. The latest projections have Hitchens missing total eight weeks of action.
  • Doctors say that Bears wide receiver Cameron Meredith only suffered ACL and MCL damage and did not injure any other major ligaments in his knee, Rapoport tweets. Meredith is done for the year, but he could be back in time for next year’s OTAs.
  • Now that the Packers have added Ahmad Brooks to the fold, they can be more patient with rookie Vince Biegel‘s recovery, Ryan Wood of the Press-Gazette tweets. A source tells Wood that he’ll “probably” start the season on the PUP list, meaning that he won’t count against the initial 53-man limit.
  • Former Saints defensive end Royce LaFrance signed with the CFL’s Roughriders, Nick Underhill of The Advocate tweets.

Cameron Meredith Suffers Torn ACL

August 27th, 2017 at 1:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Bears wide receiver Cameron Meredith suffered a torn ACL during today’s preseason game against the Titans, according to Pam Oliver of FOX Sports (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune). Although no official announcement has been made, Meredith will presumably miss the 2017 season."<strong

Losing Meredith represents a massive blow for a Chicago pass offense that ranked a below-average 20th in DVOA a season ago. Meredith, 24, came out of nowhere to lead the Bears in receptions (66), receiving yards (888), and receiving touchdowns (four). The former undrafted free agent had been scheduled to serve as Chicago’s top wide receiver following the free agent defection of Alshon Jeffery.

Instead, the Bears will now be forced to rely on a parade of mediocre pass-catching options, several of which were signed this offseason. Markus Wheaton, Kendall Wright, and Victor Cruz will all be in the mix to catch passes from quarterback Mike Glennon, while former first-round selection Kevin White will also presumably take on a larger role. Chicago’s other receivers include Josh Bellamy, Deonte Thompson, and Daniel Braverman.

If the Bears want to look outside the organization for a wide receiver, there are options on the free agent market. Veterans such as Vincent Jackson, Steve Johnson, and former Bears Eddie Royal and Marquess Wilson are still available, as is mercurial former second-rounder Dorial Green-Beckham. Alternatively, the Dolphins are reportedly open to trading slot weapon Jarvis Landry, although acquiring Landry and his expiring contract would represent a win-now transaction for the quasi-rebuilding Bears.

Meredith’s injury will also have financial effects for the wide receiver, who’d been on track to become an restricted free agent next spring. While he’ll still reach that designation, Meredith will now likely be tendered at the lowest RFA level given that no other club is likely to attempt to poach him. Had he repeated his 2017 performance, Meredith could have offered a first-round tender next offseason — the difference between the two tenders may be greater than $2MM.

NFC Notes: Redskins, Bears, Lions

June 1st, 2017 at 7:38pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Running back Matt Jones, who’s not in the Redskins’ plans, would like the team to trade or cut him, reports John Keim of ESPN.com. For now, the Redskins have no plans to cut the two-year veteran, according to Keim, though he notes that teams around the NFL ultimately expect that to happen. Although he averaged an impressive 4.6 yards per carry on 99 attempts last season, the fumble-prone Jones is now at the bottom of Washington’s backfield depth chart.

More from two other NFC cities:

  • Bears wide receiver Cameron Meredith suffered a thumb ligament injury Thursday that will keep him out until training camp, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He’s the second OTA casualty for Chicago, joining quarterback Mark Sanchez, who suffered a knee injury earlier this week. Meredith is clearly the more important player for the Bears, having posted 66 receptions, 888 yards and four touchdowns as a second-year man in 2016.
  • The Bears’ newest receiver, Victor Cruz, can earn up $4MM on his one-year contract, relays Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Cruz’s deal includes a $500K signing bonus, $500K in per-game roster bonuses and a chance to rake in $2MM in incentives.
  • The Lions are done deploying a fullback, head coach Jim Caldwell revealed Wednesday (via Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press). Caldwell’s announcement came a day after the Lions waived fullback Michael Burton, who only played 95 offensive snaps last season. “The reason why Burton’s no longer here is because that position as you’d call it (designated as a) fullback, is not part of how we function,” Caldwell said. “We find a way to get done with other positions, tight end and things of that nature.”
  • As a guest on “The Carriker Chronicles” podcast, Lions starting running back Ameer Abdullah opened up about the foot injury that ended his season in Week 2 last year. “I ended up tearing my Lisfranc the second game of the season against the Tennessee Titans, separating my foot, so that was a bummer for me,” Abdullah told former NFLer Adam Carriker (per Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). “But I’m shaking back good now. It’s helped me understand my body more, so I’m a lot more penciled in on what I need to do as far as recovery, make sure I’m [doing all the] right things for my body to make sure I’m ready for this 2017 season.”
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