Charles Davis "Are we going to get the Robert Meachem guy who blows up … just trying to impress us and get the money?" (1 Viewer)

[LSSpam]

The difference though is that Meachem was not a bargain at where he was selected. If he had fallen to round 2, I could see that rationale. He had only had one really good season prior to the draft and it was a draft with some solid WRs.

debatable. If the Saints felt he was a Top 15 player, he certainly was a bargain at #27. Their draft board may not have agreed with yours.

 

[saint hdawg]

Here's to Meachem proving critics wrong .....he should have a great season because teams have to gang plan on either Colston, Bush, Patten, and possibly PT and Meachem should get plenty of catches from Brees.

 

[Deuuuuce]

Does anyone really claim to know what kind of player Meachem is? It's impossible to know at this point. He hasn't played one down for us yet.

He has better physical measurables than every reciever on our roster so he should get some chances to play if healthy. Let's just be a little more patient.

You can't call a guy a bust without even seeing him play in the league.

 

[bobad]

I really don't think that is a fail assesment of Meachem. I think he will have a good season, and challenge for a starting spot. It was a nightmare season for him, and the Saints as far as he is concerned, and he is taking steps to rectify last season.

I like Charles, but I his article is a bit over the top.

For 1 thing, he said Meachem was out of shape, yet had a good workout.

I also thought Meachem had some knee problems out of college. (don't know if it was the same injury that kept him out last year)

 

['79 Saints]

I think st dude has a pretty fair take.

Judging him on his rookie season, he's a disappointment. First round picks have to be ready to contribute. But accounts by Patten and coaches have been that Meachem is working hard to improve and compete.

Jimmy Smith was active for 7 games and had zero receptions in the three years following his selection. He went on to be one of the best players on the expansion Jaguars. Circumstances are different between the two situations, and I agree there has to be a return on investment pretty quickly (certainly not three years later) but the point is that it's way too soon to form a definitive opinion about Meachem as a pro player. He's off to a bad start, but there's a lot left undetermined.

I was thinking of Jimmy Smith and his days with the Cowboys too... If Meachem shakes off the injury bug and goes on to have a productive career a la Jimmy Smith, that no one will remember his rookie year. If not, then...

However, I think Meachem's tale should be a cautionary tale for those who fall in love with workout numbers, one great season of production, etc.

If you can afford to take a chance on a player who seems to have turned the proverbial corner, then roll the dice and go for it.

It was pretty obvious looking at the Saints 2007 draft class that the FO/Sean Payton felt they had the horses to compete, and instead were looking at draft picks to groom as future starters.

I still puzzle as to why the Saints passed on Greg Olsen... I know Kenny Wilkerson did one of his trademark, "If you only knew what I know..." comments in regards to Olsen, but I'd still like to know...

 

[st dude]

The problem is there are only so many ways to "get ahead" talent-wise. If you want to consistently get good value on talent, either by finding players who are more talented their their draft position or their price tag (via Free Agency) if you have to roll the dice somewhere.

The Saints, apparently, have been trying to get discounts on injured players.

.

There are very few players in college who have never had an injury at some point. Certainly as the draft moves along you have to take risks for any number of reasons. Every player has a relative weakness or concern, even the first pick overall.

I am not being critical of the saints for picking a guy with an injury concern. I am just wondering if they did the best due diligence they can do to find out the nature and extent of the injury.

The fact that Meachem came into camp overweight is also a concern. I dont know if they explored his work ethic enough either. Its lazy and dumb to come to camp, befoer you sing your deal, out of shape. His agent had to be unhappy as well as it doesnt help your negotiations when you are out of shape.

Spam, I dont know if the Saints just got unlucky with Meachem or if they didnt do their due diligence. As a businessman I think critical analysis of mistakes is the best way to keep them from happening again. Neither one of us has enough info to know if this was a mistake that was just bad luck from a calculated risk or a mistake that might have been prevented with better due diligence(such as having team doctors review mri's and such).

The Saints have had a number of first and second round picks lately who have not gotten on the field soon enough(Meachem, Young, Stinchcomb and Henderson come to mind). I just hope they are constantly evaluating the way they evaluate players and are making sure they do all they can do to not pick players who sit out a year. They certainly have had some good picks as well and I am sure all programs have their hits and misses. The really good teams have less misses and I suppose thats a credit to their player evaluation systems.

 

[LSSpam]

The fact that Meachem came into camp overweight is also a concern. I dont know if they explored his work ethic enough either. Its lazy and dumb to come to camp, befoer you sing your deal, out of shape. His agent had to be unhappy as well as it doesnt help your negotiations when you are out of shape.

I know I sound like i'm making excuses, but you have to consider the distinct possibility that his injury was limiting how much working out he could do. It was shortly after the rookie training camp that he had the surgery on his knee. A torn meniscus is a chronic pain issue, he may have tried to rehab it without surgery, failed, and the Saints, seeing how little work he was able to comfortably do, decided he should just go ahead and get cut.

That's speculation on my part, but it does "fit" so to speak.

Edit - It may, also, be why the Saints weren't fully aware of the severity. Meachem (or his agent) could have been telling teams that yes, he was having some pain in his knee from the meniscus, but that he would be able to rehab the injury without surgery and therefore isn't an issue.

Of course, then you could argue if the Saints had worked Meachem out, they may have seen that he wasn't able to make enough progress comfortably and would likely need surgery. And then there's the question of when Meachem even aggravated the injury since, at the combine, he was fine. And all of this potentially falls within your comment about whether they did enough due diligence



We just don't know really.

 

[SAINTSFAN]

I have not argued that he has proven anything. It is a fair statement to say that he has not. I am arguing that Charles Davis has may an unfair, unsubstantiated character attack on Meachem that he was simply out to get money and that's it. If that was the case, he would not be working so hard alongside David Patten to improve and get on the field where he can make a contribution.

And what label does he deserve? Disappointment? Yes. Of course. Absolutely. But hopefully you are not talking about the label of a bust. If that's the case, Deuce had to be a bust after his rookie year as well seeing as though he barely played and was healthy the entire season. And outside of a 54 yard TD run against Atlanta, he would have averaged only 2.5 yards-per-rush. He finished the season with 16 carries, 91 yards. That's disappointing, although we can also blame the coaching staff for not playing him more. Still, outside of a preseason game against Seattle in which Deuce ran 19 times for 108 yards, there was very little that he did to convince anyone that he was ready. I think you and others have every right to question Meachem and to even assert that he's been a huge disappointment. But to agree with Davis that he is or was out for simply money lacks tremendous weight without any evidence to back up such a claim. And to label him a bust, at this point, would be premature.

Deuce is irrelevant in this discussion. The label I spoke of is the one you were complaining about - the label Charles Davis gave him as an example of a player who blew up, got the money and did not perform (i.e. the disappointing pick). I don't think he termed him a bust (and it is too early to label him that at this point).

 

[SAINTSFAN]

debatable. If the Saints felt he was a Top 15 player, he certainly was a bargain at #27. Their draft board may not have agreed with yours.

I always find those discussions somewhat funny. I would love for a coach or GM to say " we really did not have him rated very highly, but we took him anyway." They all say they could not believe the player was still on the board. ...sorry for the diversion...

 

['79 Saints]

Well, in the Saints defense, most mock draft rankings had Meachem the #2 receiver in the 2007 draft (with him going to Tennessee)... as a comparison, Ted Ginn, taken by the Dolphins at #9 was ranked either third or fourth.

 

[CHI-TOWNSAINT]

Meachem could have played after Week 9-10 told to me by one of the trainers. Coach didn't want to mess with the rotation at WR or have to cut someone who was contributing on Special teams.

If Meachem did play those final 6 games and put up just ok stats, you wouldn't have any of these criticisms. You would simply hear "he was hurt and produced like a rookie when he got in". Instead, because Payton made a gutsy decision and held out a first round pick, you are hearing these types of quotes.

 

[CCL36]

What do you mean not doing his homework? There is nothing incorrect at all about what he said. Regardless of what we think/hope he does, the fact remains that he was not a productive member of this team after using a first round pick on him and until he proves otherwise, it is a fair label to place on him for his rookie season.

That is not a fair assessment of Meachem that is just someone getting cute with criticism trying to make others think he has some "football eye" or acumen.

 

[SAINTSFAN]

That is not a fair assessment of Meachem that is just someone getting cute with criticism trying to make others think he has some "football eye" or acumen.

What is not fair? If Meachem did not play for the Saints, would you think differently? Realistically, he was a major disappointment. Hopefully, he proves that wrong this season.

 

[CCL36]

I would think differently if I was informed and considered what the staff has said about him, considered his interviews that show he is a fine young man and if I truly considered his skill set.

 

[speckle trout]

Plenty of time for Meachem. He is training with Patten and if finally healthy.

It's not like he slipped on a McDonalds bag and fell through his TV or anything....

Or b*(#&$@ slapped an 18 yr old kid and threw a beer bottle at his car.