Saints’ Colston could prove a real bargain

By Darrell Laurant  |   Tuesday, August 29, 2006  |  Comments( 3 )

New Orleans Saints
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In his early days as a comic, Bill Cosby got some of his biggest laughs by recounting delightfully exaggerated stories of playing football for Temple against then small college power Hofstra.

Cosby's description of the Hofstra players: "They all had one eye in the middle of their forehead and long teeth hanging out of their mouth. Their smallest guy weighed 300 pounds. He was their flanker."

Since then, however, not much has been heard from Hofstra football -- until this year. Two Pride players were drafted, and both have been impressive in preseason drills. Willie Colon has been getting a lot of offensive line reps in the Pittsburgh camp, and Marques Colston is looking more and more like a lock to make the New Orleans Saints as a seventh-round pick.

No, Colston doesn't weigh 300 pounds, but he's still a monster by wide receiver standards -- 6-foot-4, 231. He caught two passes for 10 yards in the second exhibition game with Dallas, then followed up with three catches for 32 yards (including a 15-yard touchdown reception from Jamie Martin) versus Indianapolis.

One NFL scout noted: "Colston plays like a veteran, not an obscure seventh-round pick from football lightweight Hofstra. He made a great double move (against Indy) and then blew up CB Kelvin Hyde. For a big guy, Colston moves so well. No way he doesn't make this team."

Those sentiments were all but echoed by Saints head coach Sean Payton after the Colts game (in which Colston and RB Deuce McAllister were the two major bright spots).

"He's gonna play, all right," Payton told the media. "He's gonna play. He's been doing it all camp. You guys have been there. It hasn't just been one practice, one scrimmage, it's every time he puts the pads on."

As a Hofstra senior, the Harrisburg, PA product grabbed 70 passes for 975 yards and nine touchdowns. Somehow, though, he slipped below even the intense draft radar of the 21st century.

On paper, Colston might seem like a long shot to make the roster. Joe Horn and Devery Henderson will be the top two receivers (now that Donte' Stallworth is gone), rookie Lance Moore has also been impressive, and Mike Hass of Oregon State came much more highly touted than the kid from Hofstra.

But what Colston has going for him is his versatility. With his size, he can play either wide receiver or tight end, and has also been impressive on special teams. So the Saints would be getting three players in one, for a bargain price (Colston signed for $1.1 million over three years).

Moreover, in practice, Colston has proven to be quite a formidable matchup problem for defenses in the red zone.

He does have two eyes, unlike Bill Cosby's fictional flanker. But he also has two good hands.

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