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Colston Restructures As Saints Work To Clear Cap Space For Ingram
Veteran receiver Marques Colston will remain with the New Orleans Saints for the 2015 season as he agreed to restructure his contract with the team, according to multiple reports this morning. There are no immediate details of how the contract was restructured, but it's highly likely the deal reduces Colston's salary cap figure for 2015.

It was originally slated for $9.7 million with a base salary of $6.9 million.

For the Saints, it's another step to shed salary as the team sat nearly $16 million over the salary cap based on the New Orleans Times-Picayune's calculations Thursday. For fantasy football owners, his ongoing presence will continue to make dilute the value of some rising talents at the position.

As Times-Picayune staffer Larry Holder notes, Colston, who turns 32 in June, is by far the most veteran player remaining on the Saints' otherwise young receiving corps.

He's coming off one of his worst seasons in the NFL with 59 receptions for 902 yards and five touchdowns. Yet Colston is still one of Drew Brees' most trusted receivers and should be an asset alongside Brandin Cooks and Kenny Stills.

Colston, 31, is the Saints' career receiving leader, with 666 catches for 9,239 yards over nine seasons. Not bad for a guy selected in the seventh round of the 2006 draft. He's also the team's all-time leader in overall touchdowns and receiving touchdowns (68).

But his days as a solid fantasy threat appear to be waning.

That will be especially true if Cooks continues to develop after showing some dynamic speed and quickness during a rookie season that was cut too short by a Week 10 thumb injury.

As ESPN.com's Mike Triplett reminded readers, Cooks was finally starting to hit his stride as a deep threat before the injury. Stills is another player who needs to take the next step in terms of consistent production and at just 22 years of age, he has plenty of time to do that.

The real issue is whether the Saints can figure out how to consistently get that "No. 1 receiver" production out of pass-catching tight end Jimmy Graham again -- something that would go over quite well in Fantasy nation. ...

Meanwhile, the team's ability to clear cap space will continue to be of interest with Mark Ingram eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on March 10. Head coach Sean Payton told reporters he spoke with Ingram earlier this week and again expressed hope that the five-year veteran will be back next season.

The Saints declined to pick up the $5 million fifth-year option on Ingram last summer, likely because of his past injury problems, but Ingram responded with a big season upping his value on the open market.

"Hopefully, he's someone that's back in the Black and Gold because he's been a big part of our success offensively," Payton said of Ingram, who rushed for 964 yards and nine touchdowns last season and played in the Pro Bowl as a replacement for Marshawn Lynch.

Ingram, the second of two first-round draft picks for the Saints in 2011, is considered one of the top running backs available in free agency.

If the Saints don't re-sign Ingram, they would be lacking a lead back at the position. Khiry Robinson will be the lone power back on the roster with Travaris Cadet the only receiving specialist after Pierre Thomas was released in a cap-related move earlier this week.