The Champ Is Here: Collaros stays with Bombers

WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have agreed to terms with all-star quarterback Zach Collaros on a one-year contract extension. He was scheduled to become a free agent next month.


This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.cfl.ca/2022/01/20/champ-collaros-stays-bombers/
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Hip Hip Hurray, keep walking the line.

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Heard about it approx an hour ago. Not unexpected but good to get it done. It may help keep others there as well.

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Or possibly drive them away .

With all the big name signings by the BB’s as of late , the JJ boys , Biggie , Collaros and the rest of the cast of characters they have signed they might have just shot their bolt and there might not be enough left in the kitty for the Lawlers , Alexanders , Harris’s , Adams , Bryants , Wolitarsky’s etc etc . Basic math should tell you that you can’t sign them all and some will have to be told to look elsewhere unfortunately .

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I agree bobo. Not a surprise Collaros is back but no long term deal with a lesser payment spread over time. Good move by Collaros. The Bombers had to sign him & did, so good for them. The $550K was as predicted by TSN insiders, $125K raise over his 2021 salary & highest paid CFL player. He deserves it & held all the cards. As you say, Biggie just got a big raise, as reported. The JJ boys now 2 of highest paid DE’s, Hardrick a top paid RT. So much for hometown discounts. This isn’t unexpected. Can you say no to raises for Lawler, Bryant, Darby, Alexander? I’ll be interested to see who isn’t coming back. Harris has to be a little nervous IMO.

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Why can’t a single move by the WFC be met with praise from those outside?
2019: Ya, congrats on signing expensive vets, you haven’t won in 30 years good luck
2021: Ya, you got your 1st championship in 30 years, good luck signing all those allstars
2022: Ya, you got lucky and won again, but good luck signing all those all stars

Props to the club for putting the needed peices togther for another contender season. Those that we don’t sign, we’ll just have to look elsewhere.
And @pantsonfire: I guarentee each of these guys would have gotten more on the market. Where are you getting your info on Bighill? If he did get a “big raise”, wouldn’t it be because he took a big reduction lasy year so we could actually play? Along with most of these guys they just signed…

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Good signing for O'Shea and management. Certainly not a Bomber fan but it is great for the League to have players stay put for a while, and not move around the league every year. These yearly free agencies are ruining the league such that the fans can't count on the players and their talent supporting the team they presently play for. It is great for the players to push for raises but too hard for the teams to live with the small Cap.

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Yeah, the idea of ‘Staying Put’ seemed to be a Forgotten Art. I suspect the casualties of war (on salaries) will be Andrew Harris, Drew Wolitarsky and prolly Dru Dejarlais - the bombers up 'n coming o-lineman, who’s getting more than a peek from NFL scouting combines!

Harris = approx. $225k
Wally Tarski = $130-$140k
Dejarlais = $98 - $110k

Harris on his final lap. Wally is a great team guy and clutch WR, but he’s the slowest one we have. Bombers have to find more speed - can’t rely on Collaros’ throw-backs all the time. They can find guys with more speed but will they have the clutch hands Wally routinely exhibits?
Dejarlais would be a big loss - not so much his low 100s salary - but he’s a small load of nastyman. . . . and he’s capable of moving bigger defensive linemen against their will!

If Daniel Mac (McManus) and his scouting group can find accelerants down south, it certainly makes losing guys like Wally Tarski acceptable. What they should be doing is trying to find a strong backup QB - thats the one area Bombers are clearly worst in league!

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I can also say no more cups for the bombers for another 29 years lol love it

Bombers can’t afford a back up either lol all the greed took away the extra cash

Lalji often has the scoop & is pretty reliable. It was already out there Collaros was likely signing for up to $550K. See the Lalji/Naylor video pre-signing on TSN. The info on the Bighill signing is on Lalji’s twitter acct.
As for getting more on the open market, those are set by signings in the period before free agency, no? It’s all relative. To say Willie, for example, can get more on the open market is irrelevant. Willie got $225K so that’s the figure top DE’s look at. That set Jeffcoat’s rate etc. Better example? The highest paid non-QB in 2019 was Derel Walker @ 275K & signed for 180K in Edmonton in 2021. Coming back to Edmonton was he taking a 95K “hometown” discount? Uh, no IMO. At 180K he was STILL the highest paid receiver in the CFL. He signed before free agency began so it influenced what WR’s got. THAT was the market rate for THAT year.
Look I like what the Bombers have done & am sure the players are excited to be back. But to think players are going to take less after 2 GC’s isn’t realistic. ALL the players pretty much have taken well-deserved raises. You can’t pay everyone at the top of the salary scale &, with the Lions signing Chungh for $200K & Whitehead for $200K for their positions can you expect the multi-year MOP Bryant to take less? Can you expect Lawler to take less? That ship has sailed IMO. Mgmt has already set the tone. Show me the money.
Personally, not a Bomber fan, but I think a threepeat would be good for the league. But if posters are questioning what the heck is going on in the 'Peg with all the big raises, likely with no increase to the CAP this season, well the Argos got heat for that last year. Fair game, no? No offence intended. Wish your team well in getting the gang together again.

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Keep spreading the love. Thank you for your envy.

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Far from envy just speaking the truth

Truth?? You do know you’re trying to predict the future, right?
Kisses and love be with you.

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And yes I got a crystal ball from Santa this year lol

And yes I got a crystal ball

go see a doctor, that's not right

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And neither is dreaming /hallucinating of a 3 peat lol

Tell that to Edmonton - they won 5 times in a row! Once a team has a repeat than a 3 peat becomes possible. So in spite of all your ranting, it is possible for the Bomber to get a 3 peat

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I will let you keep dreaming big , it’s ok to dream and I know I’m a lifelong ESKIMOS fan

I was merely pointing out to you it is possible - you were saying it wasn’t going to happen. I am a realist - I understand that it is unlikely that the Bombers pull off a 3 peat. But it is possible

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