Jul 23rd 2008 8:07PM by Tom Mantzouranis (author feed)
Filed under: Saints, NFC South
No longer is Marques Colston one of the league’s best bargains.
After setting the record for most receptions in a player’s first two seasons (168) to the tune of 2,240 yards and 19 touchdowns, the former seventh-rounder set to earn $445,000 agreed to a much-deserved extension with the Saints that will better reflect his play.
It’s a three-year extension that will lock him up through 2011, and while the financial terms aren’t disclosed, I would expect him to get around $7 million annually with $15 million guaranteed. But that’s just my personal hunch, and I’m almost always wrong about everything, so take this with the appropriate grain of salt. There was no doubt the Saints would keep Colston past his rookie deal, but getting it out of the way before training camp, in a year which the team has ample cap room, was important.
There’s no reason to not expect Colston to maintain, or improve, his numbers this year. He and Drew Brees have developed an obvious rapport, and he lacks the diva complex that plagues most receivers. Plus, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Jeremy Shockey is on the team now, and he’s going to give Colston some room to move. When he’s not extracting revenge on the Giants, that is.
