Head coach Sean Payton stated Thursday that Meredith is healthy and his progress this week could allow him to become a part of the game plan, Josh Katzenstein of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

EDGE Analysis

Payton fell just short of saying that Meredith would be active for the Week 3 matchup against the Falcons, but his comments indicate that the former Chicago wideout is trending in the right direction. After two weeks on the inactive list, it remains unclear what role Meredith might be able to take on upon his return. Michael Thomas has already cemented himself as one of the top wideouts in all of fantasy, while Ted Ginn is showing few signs of slowing down at 33 years old. Young wideouts Austin Carr and Tre'Quan Smith remain in the mix as well.

Meredith (coach's decision) is listed as inactive Sunday against the Browns, Nick Underhill of The New Orleans Advocate reports.

EDGE Analysis

Meredith will be a healthy scratch for the second consecutive week, as the wideout appears to need additional practice reps to get properly acclimated with the timing of the offense. Look for a similar alignment to Week 1 in the absence of Meredith, where Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn received the bulk of the playing time, while Austin Carr saw 43 snaps as the No. 3 receiver.

Head coach Sean Payton explained Wednesday that Meredith was made inactive for last week's season opener because the receiver still needs to get the timing down in the offense, Joel Erickson of the New Orleans Advocate reports. "More than anything else, [making Meredith inactive] had to do with just the reps he was behind coming off of training camp," Payton said. "From a health standpoint, he's doing good. It's just getting him up to speed."

EDGE Analysis

One of the Saints' highest-profile signings of the offseason, Meredith's practice reps were significantly limited this summer while the receiver worked his way back from a torn ACL and MCL that cost him the entire 2017 season. Meredith consequently didn't log much time with the Saints' first-string offense during the preseason, which evidently made Payton uncomfortable putting him out there last Sunday. While the coach stopped short of saying whether Meredith will be given the green light to play in this Sunday's matchup with the Browns, we can at least feel comfortable with the fact that the former Bear isn't dealing with any setbacks with his knee. In Meredith's absence Sunday, it was Austin Carr and not Tre'Quan Smith who opened the game with the starting offense.

Meredith (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's season-opening contest against the Buccaneers.

EDGE Analysis

The news earlier Sunday that Austin Carr would be the starting slot receiver versus the Bucs hinted at this possibility, as did the fact that Meredith was seen jogging with practice squad players in pregame warmups, according to Josh Katzenstien of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Meredith seemed to be at close to full health by the final game of preseason, when he logged a pair of receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown. His absence Sunday should also mean extra snaps for impressive rookie Tre'Quan Smith.

Meredith caught two of four targets for 72 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's preseason finale against the Rams.

EDGE Analysis

Held without a catch on 48 snaps over the past two weeks, Meredith broke out of his funk with a 56-yard gain on a blown coverage in the first quarter, later adding a 16-yard touchdown while working from the slot. Rookie third-round pick Tre'Quan Smith also had an impressive night with four catches for 42 yards on four targets, boosting his cumulative preseason receiving line to 15-189-1. With Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn locked in as starters, Meredith is battling Smith and Austin Carr for the No. 3 receiver job. The preseason results point to Smith, but it's Meredith who has the NFL track record and the sizable contract.

Meredith mostly played with backups in Saturday's preseason win over the Chargers, ESPN.com's Mike Triplett reports.

EDGE Analysis

Working his way back from last year's ACL tear, Meredith has yet to catch a pass on 48 snaps this preseason, with his most noteworthy moment a being a drop that turned into an interception. Meanwhile, rookie third-round pick Tre'Quan Smith has caught 11 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown, making a strong case for a Week 1 role. There was some thought Meredith might push Ted Ginn for the No. 2 WR job, but it now seems more likely that the former Bear will need to battle just to keep the No. 3 spot. The battle for snaps behind top target Michael Thomas likely will continue throughout the season.

Meredith (knee) dropped his only target in Friday's preseason game against the Cardinals.

EDGE Analysis

Meredith's lone target slipped through his hands and turned into an interception, but it was nonetheless encouraging to see him in a game for the first time since he tore an ACL last preseason. He worked alongside Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn with the first-team offense, providing a preview of what we might see in Week 1. Meredith needs to improve quickly if he's to have any chance of taking the No. 2 job from Ginn, who finished Friday's game with two catches for seven yards on four targets. In Meredith's defense, the entire New Orleans passing game was a disaster with Taysom Hill stepping in for Drew Brees as the starter.

Meredith (knee) returned to practice Wednesday, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Meredith didn't participate in team drills, but his return to the field Wednesday, in any capacity, is a good sign as the wideout continues to navigate his way back from last year's season-ending knee injury. Assuming no setbacks in advance of Week 1, Meredith figures to see work in the team's three-wide formations out of the gate, but it isn't quite clear how snaps will be divided between Meredith and Ted Ginn when the Saints only have two wide receivers on the field. If things end up tilting in Meredith's direction, however, he possesses sleeper potential in a Drew Brees-helmed passing attack.

Meredith (knee) was absent from Monday's practice, reports the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

EDGE Analysis

Meredith was cleared for full-team contact drills at the start of training camp, but the former Bear did not play in Thursday's preseason opener against the Jaguars, nor did he participate in the Saints' last three practices. Head coach Sean Payton warned that Meredith would have his workload limited during camp and there has been no news of a setback in his recovery from a torn MCL and ACL suffered last preseason, but his continued absence is disconcerting for fantasy owners who tabbed him as a sleeper. Nevertheless, there's nearly three weeks of training camp remaining, so it's far too early to panic.

Meredith (knee) was held out of team drills Thursday and didn't appear to practice at all Friday, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Despite being cleared for full-team contact drills at the start of training camp, Meredith still has restrictions on the volume of reps he's handling. This doesn't appear to be any kind of setback, as coach Sean Payton already warned that Meredith would have his workload limited during camp. Signed to a two-year, $10 million contract in the offseason, Meredith is now more than 11 months removed the torn ACL and MCL he suffered last preseason. He may have a shot to push Ted Ginn for the No. 2 wide receiver job, but both players figure to be a big part of the New Orleans offense.