Did Chicago Bears make mistake with reportedly-healthy Cameron Meredith?

Recent information provided by Sean Payton reveals the Chicago Bears may have made a mistake with letting Cameron Meredith go.

Cameron Meredith was set to be the Chicago Bears’ no. 2 wide receiver for the 2018 season. There was little doubt that anybody else on the roster could have leapfrogged Meredith on the depth chart — until Ryan Pace decided not to match the New Orleans Saints’ offer sheet.

Now, it looks like Pace may have made a mistake letting Meredith go for a relatively cheap deal.

Why, you ask? Saints head coach Sean Payton told the media this week that Meredith is looking like a “go” for minicamp.

Per Rotoworld:

"Payton said the ex-Bear is “recovering well.” Meredith went down at the end of last preseason. Any minicamp work would probably be cosmetic but would set Meredith up to be a full participant in training camp."

Meanwhile, Pace told the media on the same day that he trusted his medical staff above anyone else and that’s why they made the decision they did.

If Meredith’s recovery is looking good enough to participate in minicamp, then I wonder why Pace gave the reasoning he did when asked about letting him go. If it was truly a medical decision, was he evaluated well enough?

Look, I understand that the Bears medical staff are all in position for a reason. They’re professionals. I am no doctor, so my thoughts are purely fan-based at this point. But, I have to wonder why Pace would let Meredith go if he looks good enough to participate in offseason work for the Saints.

In this weekend’s NFL Draft, Pace has to come away with a receiver who can come in and play right away. Does he have to be a Meredith clone? No, absolutely not. But, does he have to be NFL-ready? I’d sure hope so.

I don’t think Matt Nagy is counting on Kevin White or Josh Bellamy to come in and do the same things that Meredith was capable of doing. Pace has to have a plan in place, and I suppose that’s what we, as fans, have to trust. But, with Pace in his fourth year as general manager, a decision like this could loom large over his future.

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If Meredith goes on to have a solid year in 2018, the Bears might be made out as fools because of this decision. $5 million per year is nothing for a consistent number two wideout, so the backup plan must come to fruition over the weekend. If not, then fans will question Pace for quite some time.