MOBILE, Ala. -- Receiver Marques Colston has not yet had any discussions with the New Orleans Saints about a potential pay cut -- nor expressed a willingness to accept one -- according to a league source.
Earlier Tuesday, Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole cited a source close to Colston as saying he would be willing to take a pay cut to return for a 10th season with the Saints, as long as it’s not too significant.
Whether or not Colston has made such a desire known, it seems almost certain that he will have to take some form of pay cut to remain in New Orleans. The Saints’ all-time leading receiver is due $7 million in salary and bonuses in 2015.
Colston, 31, is clearly still held in very high regard throughout the Saints organization -- and coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees still trust him in big moments. But his production level and consistency no longer match that lofty price tag.
Colston’s numbers have declined in each of the past two seasons. His 59 catches for 902 yards and five touchdowns in 2014 either set or matched career lows in every category during a healthy season. He also struggled with dropped passes (an estimated seven to 10, depending on the grading scale).
Colston bluntly admitted that he prides himself on being part of the solution but felt like he was part of the problem instead at times.
However, he also insisted after the season that he would “obviously” like to return to the Saints after all the success he has had and the relationships he has built since being drafted in the seventh round out of Hofstra in 2006.
The Saints are roughly $28 million over the projected salary-cap number of $140 million, according to ESPN Stats and Information. As general manager Mickey Loomis pointed out, they're not overly concerned because they have a lot of built-in "mechanisms" in several player contracts to reduce that number -- including the abaility save roughly $20 million in cap space by simply converting roster bonuses into signing bonuses.
However, pay cuts and player releases will also have to be part of the equation -- especially if the Saints want to add any significant newcomers in free agency.