Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

Wide receiver Marques Colston reached a five-year deal worth around $40 million to stay with the New Orleans Saints, a source said.

Included in the deal is about $19 million in guarantees, the source said. Colston was one of the key free agents the Saints couldn’t afford to lose.

Colston has had more than 1,000 yards receiving in five of his six seasons, coming up short only when he missed five games with a hand injury in 2008.

Last season, the 28-year-old Colston missed two games with a broken collarbone and finished third on the club in catches with 80, second in yards with 1,143 and tied for second in touchdown catches with eight.

Colston averaged 81.6 yards receiving in his 14 games. Had he maintained that for all 16, he would have posted 1,306 yards, four fewer than tight end Jimmy Graham, who led the Saints and ranked seventh in the NFL.

WRITTEN BY John Clayton | ESPN.com & FULL STORY HERE