Marques Colston Inks 5-Year Deal with New Orleans Saints: What's Next for Team?

OK, so I was wrong. The New Orleans Saints signed star receiver Marques Colston to a five-year contract extension worth up to $40 million, as per Jay Glazer of FOX sports.

The organization had to act fast to prevent Colston from hitting the free-agency market, avoiding any bidding wars for the receiver. That's one unrestricted free agent taken care of. What will happen to the other 13?

The terms of the contract may hinder the Saints' chance of re-signing a lot of key players or from doing much in free agency. Being the Saints don't have much room in cap space to begin with, they will have no choice but to let go of some of those said players. Robert Meachem, Tracy Porter and Carl Nicks, to name a few, are among those on the list.

Main Concern

Drew Brees. He is not happy. The Saints need to concentrate on how to sign Brees to a long-term contract, because Brees will not be signing the franchise tag that was placed on him, as reported by Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune (h/t PFT).

What's Next for the Saints

If the Saints and Brees can come to an agreement, the team won't have many problems on offense except for re-signing guard Carl Nicks. We have yet to see what kind of "respectable" offer was offered to Carl Nicks and whether or not he will accept, but aside from the potential loss of Nicks, the Saints' other main concern is their defense. It is flawed, to say the least. And those flaws were exposed in their playoff loss to the 49ers.

The Saints' defense ranked 23rd in the NFL last season. New Orleans needs to work on their pass-rush; Spagnuolo will want to generate more pressure with his front four than with complex blitz packages. The team may also lose one or both defensive linemen Shaun Rogers and Aubrayo Franklin, as well as linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar.

Look for the Saints to try to pick up a defensive end and a tackle in the market. Maybe John Abraham or Andre Carter as situational pass-rushers? The Saints may address their linebacker needs in the draft or stick with their young players if contracts aren't restructured or veterans aren't cut.

The Saints also have a problem defending the pass, giving up almost 270 yards per game through the air. It could be due to the lack of a pass-rush or relying on blitzes too often, but it could also be the secondary and their tackling issues. Tracy Porter may be a goner, so the Saints will have to look into picking up a DB.

The Inevitable

Although the organization has given no indication that they will be releasing experienced players, it is still inevitable. Again, the team doesn't have much cap space and may want to get rid of some of their veterans to create cap room. Linebackers Jonathan Vilma, Will Herring and Scott Shanle may be shown the door.

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