Colston will not take a hometown discount from the Saints
 

Profootballtalk.com reports that Marques Colston will not take a hometown discount from the Saints when he's eligible for free agency in 2012.

Drew Brees will be getting the Saints' franchise tag, so Colston may be headed for the open market if New Orleans doesn't meet an asking price that sounds like it'll be lofty. Colston settled for a below-market extension from the Saints in 2008. He's on pace for his fifth 1,000-yard campaign in six seasons and figures to target a contract in the $10 million-per-year range.

Source: Profootballtalk on NBC Sports

And you know what, he shouldn't. He's been an absolute bargain for us and one of the top underrated receivers in the league. He needs to get his.

Everyone should get his worth.
If he has to go, then go.
Bush had to leave and you know, the Saints got somebody... some lil short, muscular guy with an odd last name, Spoils...Sperls...ohh, no Sproles. That was it.
SPROLES!!!!!!!!!!!!

Salary cap and free agency is just the business. The players do not stay with one team . The team coaching staff and recruiters are always aware of who is going to bolt and are looking for what fits the team and what they can mold into their plan, professionally and personally.
It keeps the other players because they don't who is coming for their starting position.
I think it is good to shake it up.

I am not taking a jab at Colston. He is a good player. Still has some years. He has contributed greatly to this Saints era.
Business is business.
The only thing is that once a player leaves a solid team, playing on the new team is mostly for pay and harder because the new team wants results .
Ask Fujita, Bush how are things?

Yeah, he does need to get his. The sad part about having so many talented players is that we just can't keep them all. I'm hopeful we'll figure something out, but I don't see us paying 10 million a year.

Alot of Colston's success is a direct reflection of none other than Drew Brees. So Colston may find himself playing with the Rams or Jacksonville....lets see him put up numbers with Bradford/AJ Feely or Blaine Gabbert throwing to him. Some players need to realize that they fell into a good situation and just ride with it (maybe just a little fan bias here...lol) I agree we should play the guy but not 10 million a year.

Brees makes them all look good, but I don't blame them if they leave. After we pay Brees what will be left? If anything, will Brees take less to make sure they can pay these guys?

I like Colston alot, I hope he stays.

If the Saints let him leave, and he goes the Falcons (like so many of our players in the past) I'm gonna be pissed!

Falcons don't need a WR. Jones is gonna be better than Colston by the end of their careers.

i don't know what to say about this.

Drew is the brain and heart of this team. Colston is finger. A ver important finger, mind you but still only a finger. Does Colston deserve to be "Paid"....yes he does. Has he earned a $10 mil a year payday???? I don't think so. Do we need him? Hell yes we need him and he should get a good raise. But $10 mil? C'mon Man!

We won't be able to keep everyone. I'm guessing lot of names will be departing for a higher payday elsewhere even if it's on a losing team. Once Brees gets paid we might be left with nothing but rookies.

I like Colston as much as anyone, but there's no way we can give him that much money in N.O. Brees and Nicks are going to get HUGE MONEY!

And Colston deserves BIG money but the Saints can't afford him. Just hope and pray he's released way away from the Saints...

Let him go get paid after he get us some more Jewelry.

Now you know why Brees's deal isn't done yet. Loomis is trying to figure out how to keep the core together

Dang, and I just got my new Colston jersey for Christmas:(

This is the problem with us lucking out with some of our late round picks like we did. They performed well for us cheap and will now command top money, sucks it seems like some big money contracts are all coming at the same time.

has Jimmy G(tall target with great hands) made colston a little more expendable? probably... but I still think that we need to keep him...give him a shorter deal with a good chuink of bling...then he will be playing for his next contract and we wont get stuck if he starts to break down physically...

Not with Matt Ryan as QB

He is NOT worth 10 million a year (I would argue NO ONE IS but...)

10 million for 3 years, OK.

The other part of that article was telling - Moore took LESS to stay with the Saints. Smart man - there is more to football than making money & Lance knows that!!

we all love for him to be here for a long time but u have to be frank colston won't make 10 mil a year here or any where else, now this is my opinion; he just does'nt have that wow break away speed built in him that 10 mil a year team will want. he has some great hands, he runs some great routes, his personality is second to none. but just won't get it; sorry i hope he does but won't. he does deserve a big payday like the next guy.its qb money fellows where is this coming from. jmo.

I think we do keep him. The misconception among the past 5 years is that we aren't big spenders... but the fact of the matter is that we have one of the top payrolls in the league. It's been like that for quite a some time. We take care of our own... which shows as we're known at a top notch classy organization.

On the flip side, i do think drew makes our recievers look alot better than they are,so we may be able to plug in another tall reciever and get the same production for less money.

Brees never had a 4,000yd passing season before he got to the Saints, you guys mean to tell me its only Brees making the WRs look good and not the other way around??? We can't at all afford to loose Colston. He has teriffic hands and are a very reliable target. And don't forget he is the ultimate professional, you never gonna hear about him in a situation not relating to something on the field.

First of all, this is not the kind of conversation you want to have during a potential Super Bowl run. If you want to NOT get fed the ball during the playoffs and Super Bowl run, by Sean Payton and Drew, then go ahead, float this kind of article out there in the media. Your agent will be asked by other teams "what happened" when the game was on the line and they went to Jimmy Graham, Sproles, Lance, Devrey, Meecham, Ivory, the fullback, etc. and your guy you're selling was nowhere to be seen. No faster way to be toast on the Saints than by complaining.

I LOVE me some Marques Colston, now, don't get me wrong, and I think he should "get paid" quote unquote. But Colston could become very mediocre -- meaning middle of the pack, or lower drawer -- and even actually extremely mediocre, if he played for a team that does not have a good quarterback feeding him the ball, and a scheme that lets people "forget" about him, and thus get open, like the way the Saints do now. I mean "PAY THE MAN" is a great philosophy if you could apply it to everybody but...

We still have Adrian Arrington and Joe Morgan. We'll be fine. I hate to see him go but I'm sure we'll get along with out him.

Given a choice, I would keep probably 40 of our full squad without hesitation. But professional sports isn't like that. So players coose to move on or are cut and some of them are long remembered for what they gave us.

But players WILL sign or resign for the Saints becuase of what we are - a major team in the NFL. Did you notice I didn't mention money? Good, because players are more likely to sign for the Saints on lesser money than for those teams that are scraping aound for a winning season. It was always thus.

I agree. After all, the main goal of the team is to make it to the playoffs & hope for a Superbowl Win. It all comes down to what is more important to the player at the end of their contract, MORE money or a BETTER shot at winning a SB.
I hope Colston stays tho, he is a beast with exceptional hands and fits our offense well.

I just love the team we have now. Like many have said here I just hope they realize how good they have it before they go to the "show me the money" taunt. It's like changing jobs is the pasture always greener on the other side of the fence? I just hope those that are up for renewal are reasonable. YEah I would want more $$$ but I don't want to be on a losing team either. I do like Colston. He has made some awesome plays for us. I do believe we can find a replacement for him if needed. Would hate to see him go.

We can't let Colston go, couple people say oh yeah we can find a replacement for him - you can't replace a guy like Colston, somebody that always makes the plays and is a valuable chess piece for coach payton, I think we re-sign him, colston is on his way to becoming the best WR in saints history, we need to keep him

I have been thinking that about our offensive line; could Bushrod and Strief start on another contender not named the Packers?

With Roddy White and Julio Jones, not likely; he'll geaux to the Raiders or Seahawks.

Next Soldiers, please step forward; now we really get a look at our drafting/scouting prowess.

Colston is the primary target for Brees,especially on 3rd down.He is just clutch,everyone has to see it,the others are no match,Graham included.
Just like Payton created that 2pt conversion play for Moore,i bet there are specific ones for Colston,so hes going to get paid,or end up just like Shokey if he asks for ALOT more money. More money=good,just dont be greedy , put in balance the chance to win and big bucks in Minnesota or whatever .

I found this list of the Saints Salaries. not sure how accurate it is??

Colston makes 3mil.. I think there are a whole bunch of other players that deserve more than Colston. JimmY Graham for one. Garrett Hartley makes too much IMHO..

New-Orleans-Saints Salaries | New-Orleans-Saints Player Salaries | 2011 New-Orleans-Saints Salary

anyone who does not want to spend to keep colston here.....watch last nights game

Just a reminder, the salary cap is going to keep going higher and higher each of the next few seasons so I'm sure Loomis will find some way to keep around the core of this team even after paying Drew and Nicks

I'm just questioning the timing of this article, this reeks of his agent not Colston

Or maybe we can work out a sign and trade, to an AFC team.

He may not get the money he thinks since he's had numerous knee surgeries and isn't getting any younger.

I'm sure we'll give him a fair offer.

Saints WR Colston scheduled to become free agent in 2012
 

One is wide receiver Marques Colston, who is scheduled to become a free agent in March. A league source tells ProFootballTalk.com that when Colston hits the open market, he won't be giving the Saints a hometown discount.

Colston, 28, signed a three-year extension of his rookie contract with the Saints in 2009. A seventh-round pick in 2006 out of Hofstra, Colston quickly became Brees' favorite target and topped the 1,000-yard mark in four of his five seasons. With 66 receptions for 917 yards, he's on pace to do the same this season.


NFL.com news: Saints WR Colston scheduled to become free agent in 2012

Pay Brees first of course, and then we worry about everyone else!!

1st - Brees
2nd - Nicks

Then if we can afford Colston, sign him.

Off season talk. I don't want to hear it right now. I love Colston.

I'm not sure that paying Brees is going to leave us as a penniless franchise! :) It's always the way with a winning team. Everyone thinks that their contribution was big enough to warrant a massive payday and if that means they can get their payday elsewhere, even for a truly awful franchise, then they will likely take it.

I hate to put the kaibosh on Colston being at New Orleans but I am telling you right now, he is finished unless he accepts a far more structured contract. However there are a number of teams who need a WR option just like Colston and would be happy to pay the sort of money he is after. I can see him landing in Minnesota or somewhere like that. God forbid he goes to Carolina or I am going to cry. A lot!

The truth is as well, that whilst you have someone like Drew Brees, you can put any decent route runner with half decent hands out on the field and Brees will turn them into a star. Nothing against Colston, he's quality, but a rookie will serve us equally well and asking someone like Meachem or Henderson to step up and finally seeing what Arrington or Roby may have to offer is not out of the question.