2012 NFL Free Agents: Why Colston Won't Be Back with the New Orleans Saints

2012 has not been kind to the New Orleans Saints thus far.

Not only does the organization have to deal with the bounty scandal, they now also have to deal with some contract issues; some of their key players are set to hit free agency on Tuesday, March 13th, two of whom are Marques Colston and Robert Meachem.

Drew Brees will no doubt be throwing to some new receivers this upcoming season. With the Saints' cap issues (after tagging Brees), it's almost impossible to sign both receivers, unless they take pay cuts—which is unlikely.

The receiver more likely to leave will be Marques Colston. His services will be in high demand on the market and his production over the past six seasons will drive up the price tag. The Saints won't be able to afford to get into a bidding war for him.

Marques Colston is the ideal WR, with a big frame at 6'4" and 225 lbs. He has caught 70 or more passes in five out of the last six seasons. In the six seasons he has been in the NFL, he has accumulated 449 receptions for 6,240 yards and 48 touchdowns. But some teams may feel he's a product of the system and may think those numbers are inflated due to the Saints' dynamic offense and...Drew Brees.

On the other hand, WR-needy teams may feel the sure-handed Colston would be even more valuable in a offensive scheme that doesn't spread the ball around so much.

Look for a lot of teams to make a run for Colston. Regardless of what system he was in, or his microfracture knee surgery, the numbers are still there.

The Saints won't be able to keep Colston. The economics aren't there.

Did Colston play a key role in the Saints' offensive success? Yes, he did. But the Saints will be fine without him. They still have superstar tight end Jimmy Graham, Darren Sproles, Devery Henderson, Lance Moore and maybe Meachem as well.

Plus, there are a good amount of WRs hitting free agency they can look into acquiring at a lower price—namely, Randy Moss.

The Saints also have to deal with a lot of other issues that need fixing—mainly their defensive flaws that were exposed in a playoff loss to San Francisco. With new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, look for the Saints to concentrate on defense and change some personnel to fit Spagnuolo's scheme.

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