Marques Colston, a Saints Hall of Fame wide receiver, almost didn't get to play in the NFL following his inconsistent performance during the 2006 rookie camp and OTA sessions with the team. Former New Orleans head coach Sean Payton shared Colston's early trials and the importance of patience with young players, as Jon Heath of the Broncos Wire reported.
Today, teams, media, and fans are impatient. A player is often labeled a "bust" if early reports aren't favorable during minicamps and OTAs. Still, NFL teams could use the Saints' approach with Colston as a cautionary tale to allow rookies and young players to mature before training camp. It's a philosophy that head coach Dennis Allen is using with young talent along the offensive line, secondary, and wide receiver units.
Payton revealed Colston struggled early in organized team sessions. "He [Colston] was a compensatory seven, so towards the end of the draft. During this period of time, he was a little overweight. Not a lot, but as a receiver, he was having back spasms," Payton said to the media after the conclusion of the Broncos minicamp.
New Orleans drafted wide receiver Mike Hass, the 2005 Fred Biletnikoff Award winner, in the 6th round. Next round, they used a 7th-round compensatory pick to snag Colston out of Hofstra. Hass was "magnificent" in the early sessions, Payton remarked, but Colston broke to have a stellar training camp and eventually won the starting job opposite Joe Horn. By the way, New Orleans released Hass on Sept. 3, 2006. Ultimately, allowing Colston to evolve and mature won him the job.
"Then training camp came, and all of a sudden, we began to see a little different player in Marques. He began to pick things up, and by the time we got to the start of the regular season, he was our starting 'X' [receiver]. You just want to be cautious not to judge too quickly or evaluate too quickly. You're working on their improvement," Payton noted.
Colston opened his career in Cleveland with four catches, 49 yards, and a touchdown for New Orleans' first-season victory. In his next game, the rookie wideout followed with four more receptions for 58 yards and his second touchdown. As I recall, his 35-yard reception for a touchdown broke a 20-20 tie with Brett Favre and the Packers as the Saints won 34-27. At the end of his first season, he caught 70 receptions for 1,038 yards and eight touchdowns. His season's performance contributed to New Orleans playing for the 2006 NFC Championship against the Chicago Bears, who went on to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLI.
If Payton and staff wrote off Marques Colston after his early showing at rookie camps and OTAs, they would have missed adding 711 receptions, 9,759 yards, and 72 touchdowns to the Saints franchise's record books. The Who Dat Nation affectionately calls Colston "The Quiet Storm." He never drew negative attention on or off-field. Instead, he thrilled the Saints fans with acrobatic catches, one-handed touchdowns, and many highlight-reel moments while becoming the all-time New Orleans Saints' reception leader.
Today, you must be at Saints HQ in Metairie to realize that New Orleans has a talented wide receiving corps may be far-fetched. According to Saints News Network beat reporters, John Hendrix and Ross Jackson, the New Orleans Saints have a solid wide receiver lineup thanks to All-Pro Michael Thomas's talent and up-and-comers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. It will be challenging for newcomers Shaquan Davis and A.T. Perry to secure a spot on the roster due to tough competition from Tre'Quan Smith, James Washington, Kirk Merritt, Keith Kirkwood, Bryan Edwards, Kawaan Baker, and Lyn Bowden. When it's time to dress, put on the pads, and start training camp, don't be surprised if a rookie makes it onto the 53-man roster or gets placed on the practice squad.
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