Signing franchise quarterback Drew Brees will no doubt be the priority for the New Orleans Saints once their chase of another Super Bowl title comes to an end.
But the Saints will have other priority players to lock up.
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.
Colston is the most established player in a deep and talented group of receivers in New Orleans, and wants to be paid like it.