METAIRIE ― A year ago, Robert Meachem couldn’t get on the field for the Saints.

Now it’s hard to get him off of it.

The former University of Tennessee standout is finally showing the world why New Orleans took him with its No. 1 pick in 2007.

AP / Sean Gardner

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Lance Moore (16) celebrates with teammate Robert Meachem (17) after Meachem scored on a touchdown pass against the San Francisco 49ers during the second quarter of their NFL football game in New Orleans September 28, 2008.

This after being inactive for the first 17 games of his professional career.

“There was a little bit unknown,” Saints head coach Sean Payton said. “The positives were in training camp when we could see that the player was running better. He’s healthy and he’s a big target.”

Meachem owns three of the longest completions for the Saints this season – catches of 74, 52 and 47 yards – and averages 40.8 yards per catch.

But his biggest catch might be one that doesn’t stand out for its length as much as it does its significance – the 19-yard touchdown pass that came against the Washington Redskins in Week 2 and gave him his first career professional score.

In all, he has caught five passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns.

Included in those stats is a 52-yard beauty in the San Francisco game where he went up high between two defenders and came down with the ball on a flea-flicker.

It’s a play that the average fan might have been aghast to see quarterback Drew Brees throw.

But Brees had his reasons.

“I told him after I threw that flea-flicker to him that I threw that ball because I trust him,” Brees said. “I know he’s going to make a play. I can trust him.”

And that means the world to the quiet second-year player.

“A quarterback like Drew to say he trusts you, it’s an honor,” Meachem said. “You don’t get that every day from great quarterbacks.”

It’s just the next step in Meachem’s progression from perceived “bust” to standout.

“In order to play in this offense, the quarterback has to have confidence and coaches have to have confidence and teammates have to have confidence,” Meachem said. “All I try to do is do my best to make big plays and go out there and practice hard.”

Still, it’s not common to be a legit downfield threat a year after being a guy who couldn’t get on the field. Part of that, though, is that it seems Brees only gets Meachem the ball on deep routes.

The two of them say that’s just a coincidence.

“I have a lot of underneath routes,” Meachem said. “It just so happens that maybe somebody else is open or the coverage changes and drops to me on the underneath routes. Sometimes on a deep route, we just happen to call the right play at the right time.”

“He has been used on shorter routes,” Brees said. “For one reason or another, the ball’s going elsewhere. That’s just by chance.”

Meachem added, “I’m all right with that.”

So, while Marques Colston rehabs his thumb and Jeremy Shockey gains strength after having surgery to repair a hernia, Meachem will continue to take advantage of his minutes.

And that could mean more big plays.

“For me, all my life, I’ve made big plays,” Meachem said. “Why stop now?”

• Bradley Handwerger can be reached at bhandwerger@wwltv.com or 504-529-6439.