Realistic Expectations for Robert Meachem

Amidst reports and rumors that Robert Meachem is looking good, practicing hard, and competing for the third wide receiver spot, one can’t help but wonder just what to expect from Meachem in 2008. As most Saints fans know, Meachem posted 0 receptions for 0 yards, combined with his rushing stats (0 yards on 0 carries), in 0 minutes of 0 games last season, not exactly the first year numbers Coach Payton had projected for him. However, the Saints may already have a niche carved out for Meachem in 2008, one which should provide him with the opportunity to get his name on the stat sheets with something other than “DNP” next to it.

When Meachem was drafted, he must have looked like the combination of the best traits of Devery Henderson and Marques Colston. At 6’2”, Meachem is three inches taller than Henderson and has the blazing forty speed (as fast as 4.36) that Colston lacks. One can’t blame the coaching staff for salivating at the prospect of having Reggie Bush, Devery Henderson, and Robert Meachem on the field at the same time. However, that possibility quickly went from prospect to pipe dream in 2007, as Meachem never officially dressed for a single game all season, and the Saints went with veteran David Patten as their consistent number two option. This season, however, the Saints seem to be focusing on a more realistic position for Meachem – replacing Devery Henderson in the offense, a move that makes sense for many reasons.

Devery Henderson seemed to have only one problem catching footballs last season: an intense and insurmountable fear of contact with anything other than the ground. Nine times out of ten, a ball thrown to Henderson between the hash marks and against a defense with safety help would be dropped. If Drew Brees could find a way to get the ball to Henderson on the sideline, there was at least a thirty percent chance that it would be caught. And, if Henderson could find himself all alone and forgotten behind the entire defense, those balls would be caught approximately 60% of the time. Of course those statistics are fabricated, but the truth of the matter is not far off – Devery Henderson drops far too many balls to be considered anything more than an occasional big-play target.

But with all dropped balls and missed opportunities Henderson accounted for last season, he did serve one vital role, keeping the opposing defense from cheating up and stacking the box too often. Henderson gave the Saints an option to go deep on any play, and with a veteran quarterback capable of reading defenses like Brees at the helm, a deep ball was merely an audible away. Meachem is fast, can run a fly route, and reportedly has good hands. These attributes alone should allow him to replace Devery as the Saints’ deep threat and third receiver in 2008. This position should provide a great opportunity for Meachem to produce at a fairly high level, but without much pressure. Although Meachem should be the Saints third option all year, expect him to score six or seven touchdowns this season, with half coming from deep balls and the other half goal line passing situations. Additionally, expect Meachem to see some limited time at the number two wide receiver spot. As an excellent blocker, Meachem should be an asset to the running game as well, and could be used in certain running formations.

Meachem is a good bet to make an important contribution to the Saints’ offense this season. Although he is not yet, and may never be, the solid number two option that will cut down on the double teams Colston sees, Meachem will have to play a significant role in our offense for the Saints to succeed in 2008. Meachem already appears to be in position to beat out Henderson as the third option, and if he can avoid the same mistakes Henderson made last year, he may quickly shed the label of "first round bust."