METAIRIE, La. — Robert Meachem agrees that his rookie year in the NFL was a bust, and that a breakout performance in his third season is required.

The New Orleans Saints can be only so patient with the former Tennessee receiver they drafted 27th overall in 2007.
“This year they’re going to get to see a first-round draft pick,” Meachem promised. “The last two years, that’s been somebody else.”
Curtis Johnson, the Saints’ wide receivers’ coach, puts it another way: “He better do something. We paid him two years.”
Meachem spent every game of his rookie season watching from the sideline in a sweat suit, having failed to earn a spot on the 46-man active roster on Sundays.
Knee soreness bothered Meachem for most of that year, diminishing the speed that made him a constant deep threat in college. During practice, he was relegated to the scout team and reduced to the status of a development project.
Last season, he was healthy, but coaches limited his playing time, saying he often negated his breathtaking speed by running routes improperly and missing assignments.
Still, his big-play ability was evident when he hauled in a 74-yard catch at Denver and a 52-yarder against San Francisco. His average of 24.1 yards per catch was second on the team behind only Devery Henderson (24.8).
He wound up with 12 catches in 2008 for 289 yards and three touchdowns.
“I was just a guy that really didn’t understand what I was out here to do,” Meachem said. “You know you’re a first-round draft pick and you’re trying to make every play that you can. ... You’re trying to figure out, ’How can I run this route to get open?’ But then you run a route your way, and you’re kind of taking away from somebody else getting open.
“You’ve got to understand how to run a route the way Coach wanted you to run it so everybody can get open.”
If it sounds as if Meachem is catching on, it looks that way, too.
With receiver Lance Moore limited while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Meachem has been practicing with the first team early in training camp and performing as if he belongs. During 11-on-11 drills, Drew Brees has started going to him more on deep balls and in the red zone. On several occasions, the result has been Meachem scoring a touchdown.
“He’s coming around,” Brees said. “I’m really happy for him. I think he has worked extremely hard and we just have to keep finding the right opportunities for him.”
Marques Colston, the Saints’ leading receiver in 2006 and 2007, said Meachem shouldn’t be judged by his rookie season because of his injury, which required arthroscopic surgery, performed between minicamp and training camp, to repair the medial meniscus in his right knee.
“It’s hard enough to play in this league when you’re healthy,” Colston said. “This training camp he’s coming in feeling pretty healthy and you’re seeing the result now. As far as talent goes, the sky’s the limit for him. He can run all the routes, make all the plays.”
If Meachem emerges as one of the Saints’ premier receivers, it will provide a measure of vindication for head coach Sean Payton, who drafted him. The coach isn’t gloating yet, however, measuring his praise in a way that makes it clear he expects Meachem to continue to work on the mental aspects of the game.
“The real, real good receivers in this league win so much between their ears,” Payton said. “There is so much to playing that position, but he still has the size and speed that you look for and the big-play ability. Those are all things that are hard to coach.”
As for the things which can be taught, Meachem’s position coach is seeing evidence that the 24-year-old receiver has finally got it.
“I’m seeing him run now,” Johnson began. “Before, he was measuring his steps and thinking too much. Now he’s starting to play and react and — wow — he’s looking pretty good.”