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Cameron Meredith: Chicago Bears Discovered A Hidden Gem

By Brandon Hinrichs

Dec 24, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Cameron Meredith (81) avoids a tackle from Washington Redskins free safety Will Blackmon (41) during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 24, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Cameron Meredith (81) avoids a tackle from Washington Redskins free safety Will Blackmon (41) during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Before his breakout 2016 season, not a lot of Chicago Bears fans knew who Cameron Meredith was. His exceptional play at wide receiver now has fans and coaches smiling about future things to come.

In football, all it takes is having one opportunity to prove yourself to your teammates and coaches. Opportunities to shine often occur when least expected. So, when Cameron Meredith received his opportunity to become a leading receiver for the Chicago Bears in 2016, he did not disappoint.

Meredith was an undrafted wide receiver out of Illinois State. He barely received any attention from scouts and coaches around the league leading up to the 2015 NFL Draft.

That’s how things work in the NFL for players coming out of unheralded universities. Rarely do they receive much exposure throughout the collegiate level.

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Having said that, Meredith not being drafted was a blessing in disguise. It only motivated him to become a better player. Of course, he still needed one team to take a chance on him.

That team turned out to be the Chicago Bears. Signing Meredith, an undrafted free agent two seasons ago, the organization didn’t know what to expect from him.

Barely seeing action in 2015 with the Bears, Meredith easily went unnoticed. He found himself placed at the bottom of the team’s depth chart at wide receiver. While he played in 11 games during his rookie season, he only caught 11 receptions, for 120 yards. Nothing for fans or coaches to get too excited about.

Heading into 2016, the Bears were counting on Alshon Jeffery and an injury-plagued Kevin White to lead their receiving corp. Unfortunately, White, for the second straight season, suffered a season-ending injury during Week 4’s matchup against the Detroit Lions. Thus, the door opened for Meredith to have a leading role in the offense.

And boy did he take full advantage of his opportunity. Meredith emerged as a top go-to receiving option for quarterback Matt Barkley down the stretch. He ended up logging in four receiving touchdowns on the season, along with 888 receiving yards on 66 receptions.

Meredith’s emergence as a go-to threat couldn’t have come at a better time. With the Bears losing Jeffery this off season to free agency, they will be counting on Meredith to be their top receiver in 2017.

Will he be up for that challenge? All indications say he will be. After all, Meredith has great size for a leading receiver. At 6’3”, he serves as a difficult matchup for opposing cornerbacks to cover.

In addition, Meredith also displays solid speed, given his height. He ran a 4.47 40-yard dash back in 2015, to go along with an exceptional 39-inch vertical, according to NFL Draft Scout.

Those physical attributes lead to a promising future outlook for Meredith. He’s always had the natural talent to play wide receiver at a very high level. All he needed was more playing experience.

Furthermore, let’s not forget about who the Bears’ new starting quarterback is. Mike Glennon has a cannon for an arm. That should bode well for Meredith.

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Glennon has the ability to stretch the field by taking deep shots, something Matt Barkley was unable to do successfully given his lack of arm strength.

All signs point to an even more productive season coming for Meredith in 2017. As a budding star, who would expect anything less from him?

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