Scratch another "must" off the New Orleans Saints' offseason to-do list.

That's the belief and hope for New Orleans, courtesy of the Thursday addition of receiver Cameron Meredith, a restricted free agent who signed a two-year deal with the Saints that the Chicago Bears did not match.

Meredith sat out last season after tearing the ACL and partially tearing the MCL, in his left knee. In 2016, he led the Bears with 66 catches for 888 yards, and tied for the team lead with four receiving touchdowns.

"When I got out to the city initially, it was a great vibe, great feeling," Meredith said of his New Orleans visit. "I think it was just a good connection. It was great chemistry at dinner (with Coach Sean Payton and receivers coach Curtis Johnson) and I knew the offense. They're very productive, the receivers do well in that system and ultimately, it was just the best situation for me.

"On a scale of 1 to 10, it's almost a 10. I'm excited to be out there in New Orleans and part of the winning tradition. Great fans, great city, I'm just excited to be a part of it."

Meredith said his knee recovery is on schedule.

"I haven't had a setback along the recovery process," he said. "I'm gaining strength day by day, month by month. I'm excited to see how soon I can get back.

"But the main objective for me is to do as much as I can with the trainers to get ready for the season. My goal is to try and get back to training camp. As long as there aren't any setbacks or anything like that, it shouldn't be a problem."

Meredith, an undrafted free agent entering his fourth season, started 10 of 25 games played for the Bears and caught 77 passes for 1,008 yards, with four touchdowns.

Joining the Saints will allow him to reunite with Johnson, who was his receivers coach in Chicago in '16.

"C.J. was a big part of my success in Chicago," he said, "and to be able to rejoin him in New Orleans and get back right where we left off, (it's) kind of like nothing really happened."

Meredith said he'll be comfortable in any role for the Saints.

"We didn't speak specifics, but I left them know I'm open to play anywhere on the field," he said. "I enjoy moving around, taking advantage of all different type of routes and mismatches on the field."