Well, well. I think this is going to work out very well, hoping anyways! :thup:
;;;Good signing by the cats....Looks like Henry is looking for a new home... 
Winnipeg could do worse than Henry Burris.
Winnipeg is now onto plan B;
Burris and hopefully Willy as his under study.
Collaros, 25, joins Henry Burris, Dan LeFevour, Jeremiah Masoli, Stephen McGee and Brian Brohm as the team's quarterbacks.
Burris, however, is slated to become a free agent on Feb. 15. Scianitti also reports that Burris will be released by the Tiger-Cats.
At 38, Burris is looking for a new starting job, again.
"There have been no negotiations. I hope there is still interest there – I don't know why there wouldn't be," Burris told the Hamilton Spectator Wednesday. "It's disappointing."
"I would definitely go to Winnipeg – I just want to somewhere I'm wanted and right now it's hard to tell where that is," Burris said. "I sacrificed a lot this year in Hamilton in terms of playing time and maybe that was a foreshadow of what was to come."
Although the market for starting pivots this CFL offseason was admittedly slim, Collaros's stock rose with several impressive displays in 2013.
In 14 games last season, seven of which he started, Collaros threw for an impressive 2,316 yards and 14 touchdowns, completing 66.2 per cent of his passes in the process.
His best game through the air came in Week 13 against Calgary, when he threw for 330 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Boatmen to a 33-27 win.
Collaros also proved to be effective on the ground, rushing 59 times for 246 yards and five touchdowns.
The former Cincinnati Bearcat won five of seven contests while Ricky Ray recovered from a shoulder injury.
Burris, meanwhile, leaves Hamilton after leading them to an appearance in the 101st Grey Cup in Regina.
The 38-year-old had a strong year under centre for the Ticats, leading the league in passing yards with 4,925, along with 24 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.
Burris first arrived in Hamilton after spending seven years in Calgary. He was acquired by the Ticats in 2012 in exchange for Kevin Glenn, now of the REDBLACKS
...and release Henris Burris!
so now the big question is:
who wins more games in 2014?
Burris and the Bombers
Collaros and the Tabbies
i'm going to say Burris and the Bombers.
Can't believe it took the Cats this long to sign him. If it were Edmonton in search of a new Q.B. they would have had it done and announced 6.5 minutes after Collaris' release yesterday. What the heck was the hold up? :lol:
Well the Bombers will have to settle for a soon to be outgoing QB rather than an up and coming QB. That has to sting a little.
Called it from the beginning, why would Collaros have chosen Winnipeg over Hamilton, it just didn't make much sense. Although not enthused about the idea that Willy and Burris are our only options.
not if they can groom a young up-and-coming QB while Burris plays out his last 1 or 2 years.
it may actually be better for them in the long run to do so.
Calvillo learning under Ham comes to mind. it made for a smoother transition from Vet to Young guy.
personally, I would have preferred the Cats sign Drew Willy and for Hank to stay on another year as co-starter/mentor.
There may be a few differing reasons for Austin to sign Collaros, thereby casting out Burris..
- He believes Collaros to be an immediate impact QB of true star caliber.
- He is looking to save some $ by dumping Burris and his $400,000 contract.
- He is looking for additional competition/depth for Brohm, whom Austin regards highly.
- He is stockpiling for trade bait.
- He has lost his mind.
- All of the above.
I'm thinking it could be a combination of 1-3, if not at least 2+3.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have lost out on the Zach Collaros sweepstakes and will now turn their attention to Henry Burris and most likely Drew Willy.
Collaros, the former Toronto Argonauts backup, agreed to terms with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Thursday morning. It’s believed the contract is in the $250,000 range with the usual CFL quarterback incentives.
The Bombers were also in the running for Collaros, but their attention over the off-season has gradually moved to focus more on Burris, a proven CFL quarterback who would give the much -maligned Blue and Gold a chance to win more games this season. Collaros, on the other hand, has just seven career starts.
There’s a good chance the Tiger-Cats will release Burris, 38, before he becomes a free agent on Feb. 15, at which point the Bombers will pounce. Burris has thrown for more than 10,000 yards in the last two seasons and is in excellent physical condition.
The Bombers would also be an attractive spot for Burris because his family is based in Calgary. Burris told the Hamilton Spectator on Wednesday he would have no problem playing in Winnipeg.
There is believed to be concern on Winnipeg’s part the Ottawa RedBlacks, who were also in on the Collaros discussions, will go after Smilin’ Hank, but sources close to Burris believe he wouldn’t want to play so far away from Calgary if he had a choice between Ottawa and Winnipeg.
.....Not a done deal yet but I'm getting a real warm feeling that I'm going to be seeing Mr. Burris at the controls of the Wpg. offence...Apparently Bombers did offer more cash for Collaros (not confirmed) but geography played a big part in where Zack wanted to play...Could be the same for Henry AND Wpg. is A LOT closer to Cal. than Ottawa Expect Henry to be in Bomber blue shortly :thup:
being closer to Cincinnati is probably the only reason he picked Hamilton over Winnipeg.
Don`t you suppose that the fact that Hamilton had a much better team than Winnipeg and has an experienced coaching staff factored into his decision?
I honestly can't believe Austin is going with a green as heck QB over the still record setting Henry Burris who took them to the Grey Cup. This isn't the time to be building for the future, it's the time to be competeing for the cup.
Then again, Austin has made some gutsy cuts and signings that benefited the team. This season I suppose is the real test if Austin will lead the Ti-Cats to the promise land or will be tarred and feathered with hot slag and jagged scrap.
I would think not, I would think Winnipeg’s reputation for not comitting to a starting QB over the last two seasons might have had something to do with it.
Also add the fact that Ti-cat offence has more weapons, and playing in the East increases the chances for Grey Cup appearances.