Bombers extend quarterback Zach Collaros through 2026

[TecnoGenius]

Yes, they all come via FA, but that doesn't mean a good option will be available to you in the year you need it. More than likely you grab a different aging vet or journeyman and cycle through crap options for multiple seasons (or 29 years as the case may be).

Oh, 100% you are correct.  There is a lot of risk and luck involved with relying on FA at the last minute when Zach finally says "I'm done".

But there literally is no other option.  You can pray you dev a star and the timing is good (option 1, by far the cheapest, see: Alexander/Kelly).  You can pray a star is up for trade/FA when you need it (option 2, expensive, all our last 3 QB1's).

I see only one other option: You pre-buy (or keep) a star before your existing star quits.  This is by far the most expensive, and nearly impossible, option.  This would be us keeping Dru in FA24 and having nearly $1M tied up in the QB room.  This was BC in '24.  This almost never occurs in the CFL, and really only BC's MMM cheating allowed it for them.

No, we just have to pray we can entice a star QB here when we need him.  This could cost us juicy DPs for tamper looks, and lots of salary & signing bonus.  On the plus side, if we keep winning, it's an easy sell.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

If you want to be aggressive with the QB position then you follow the lead of the Green Bay Packers or closer to home, what the Als did this year with Fajardo. That's the example to follow even if we don't know the results of Alexander vs Fajardo yet and even if Jordan Love's had no real playoff success.

Note that in both cases, they didn't use free agency to solve the problem because franchise QBs basically never make it to free agency.

[TecnoGenius]

If you want to be aggressive with the QB position then you follow the lead of the Green Bay Packers or closer to home, what the Als did this year with Fajardo. That's the example to follow even if we don't know the results of Alexander vs Fajardo yet and even if Jordan Love's had no real playoff success.

Or what TOR did with MBT->Kelly.  I hear ya.

However, I still maintain you can't do that with Zach.  You can't do that with a 5-GC-appearing WDF-winning QB.  You have to ride the Zach horse until it's clearly obvious he's done, not that you guess he might be slipping.  The whole league learned from the mistake of the early R.Ray cut.

If we did what you say, then we would have kept Dru in FA24 and let Zach walk.  Dru did well in '24, but he wouldn't have gotten us to that cup.

Back to your Fajardo (and my MBT) scenario: Fajardo and MBT were never "great", not once.  They were carried by vastly superior teams.  Zach looked great in two places: HAM and here.  As such I don't think it's a fair comparison.  Both Faj/MBT will look very weak if starting for "normal" teams (see MBT in EDM).

Also, knowing The Mafia like we do, don't you think they'll ride the Zach horse until he's clearly ready for pasture?  (Or he angers/disses them a la AH33 showing up for camp completely unready.)

[blueandgoldguy]

Your intial points / posts in this argument were off base imo and now you are really stretching.  You continue to dig a deeper hole.  Perhaps move on.  You don't like Zach's salary and recent performances in the big show, we get that.  The comparison to BLM is a weak one imo.

Zach is one our primary reasons for success and our Grey Cup wins and apperances.  He deserves the coin he got and will get.

Not off base at all.  Zach wasn't in any position to command a similar salary as last year given how poorly he performed most of last season (17 tds and 15 ints) and his terrible Grey Cup game....and a whole season before his deal is even up no less!  What's the rush to extend him?! Let him prove last season was not a trend but a fluke and actually throw significantly more TDS than INts and improve his YPG stats before giving him an extension.  Most teams are set at QB and there aren't going to be many teams falling over themselves to sign a nearly 38 year old QB in 2026.

Zach sure did his best to try and cost the team a trip to Grey Cup in 2021 when he threw 3 INTs (and I think he fumbled the ball as well) in the West Division Final.  That team won the game on the strength of defense, and Harris.  They saved Collaros bacon.  If Zach had performed half-decently the game would have been a blow-out instead of the nailbiter it turned into.

More of same in 2022.  Zach was mediocre at best, throwing for barely more than 170 yards while also throwing a INT.  Thankfully Oliviera and Grant saved his bacon yet again with tremendous performances.

2023...again more of the same.  Zach passes for a paltry 150 yards and no INTS so I guess that's a plus.  That team went to the Grey Cup mostly on the strength of Oliviera and the Defense.

Zach the primary reason for our appearances in the Grey Cup!?  Not in those division finals, that's for sure.  More like the Bombers qualified for the Grey Cup in spite of Zach.

That's not even getting into the Grey Cups and we know how well Zach did there, don't we?  Based on the evidence in big games, does this sound like a QB that should be paid over $600,000 per season? 

[Blueforlife]

Not off base at all.  Zach wasn't in any position to command a similar salary as last year given how poorly he performed most of last season (17 tds and 15 ints) and his terrible Grey Cup game....and a whole season before his deal is even up no less!  What's the rush to extend him?! Let him prove last season was not a trend but a fluke and actually throw significantly more TDS than INts and improve his YPG stats before giving him an extension.  Most teams are set at QB and there aren't going to be many teams falling over themselves to sign a nearly 38 year old QB in 2026.

Zach sure did his best to try and cost the team a trip to Grey Cup in 2021 when he threw 3 INTs (and I think he fumbled the ball as well) in the West Division Final.  That team won the game on the strength of defense, and Harris.  They saved Collaros bacon.  If Zach had performed half-decently the game would have been a blow-out instead of the nailbiter it turned into.

More of same in 2022.  Zach was mediocre at best, throwing for barely more than 170 yards while also throwing a INT.  Thankfully Oliviera and Grant saved his bacon yet again with tremendous performances.

2023...again more of the same.  Zach passes for a paltry 150 yards and no INTS so I guess that's a plus.  That team went to the Grey Cup mostly on the strength of Oliviera and the Defense.

Zach the primary reason for our appearances in the Grey Cup!?  Not in those division finals, that's for sure.  More like the Bombers qualified for the Grey Cup in spite of Zach.

That's not even getting into the Grey Cups and we know how well Zach did there, don't we?  Based on the evidence in big games, does this sound like a QB that should be paid over $600,000 per season? 

I believe you are wrong about Zach and tried every angle in the book to prove your point.  I believe your previous arguments were a stretch.  I believe you are undervauling what Zach brings, overstating the negative about him and not being realistic when you mention his salary.  A star QB of his calibre is worth what we have paid him, past, present and future.  He will go down as one of the best Bomber QBs of all time, with the record, cups and stats to prove that.  We are on opposite ends on this one.  There is no value in continuing the debate between us.  Agree to disagree.  Revist when the snow flies this and next year.  I strongly believe we are lucky to have him for another season and there is many reason why extending him now makes sense.  He is our best chance to win and our best chance at developing the next gen.

Suggesting that Zach didn't play a key role in our playoff runs is as off base as I have seen on here.

[Pete]

if we are paying him 800k I don't know why we had to sign him prior to this season. At that price tag we could have waited til we see what 2025 performance is. I realize he's brought a lot to this organization but at such a key position we cant afford to pay for past efforts, It's what he brings now that is critical

[theaardvark]

I have no issues with extending Collaros, as long as there is minimal guaranteed $SMS in 2026.  Just in case.  Marketing money, no problem.  But if we gave him a signing bonus, or guaranteed money, no thanks.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

if we are paying him 800k I don't know why we had to sign him prior to this season. At that price tag we could have waited til we see what 2025 performance is. I realize he's brought a lot to this organization but at such a key position we cant afford to pay for past efforts, It's what he brings now that is critical

Where did you get $800k from?  He's being paid $600k max.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

$2M is too much!

[Blueforlife]

$2M is too much!

$4M my max lol

[TecnoGenius]

2023...again more of the same.  Zach passes for a paltry 150 yards and no INTS so I guess that's a plus.  That team went to the Grey Cup mostly on the strength of Oliviera and the Defense.

Zach the primary reason for our appearances in the Grey Cup!?  Not in those division finals, that's for sure.  More like the Bombers qualified for the Grey Cup in spite of Zach.

LOL, you critique all the WDFs except the one that counts the most: 2024.  Like 200Y to Kenny alone and multiple TDs?  Ya, not relevant to his re-signing?

And the '21 one was a fumble-fest and tip-INTs that were at best a wash between him and the RECs.  Don't pin that blame on him.

I think you'll find that the entire team is responsible for the sustained success.  Yes, it's not all Zach, but similarly it's not all "the D" or the RB.  We do best when everyone contributes.  That's partly why the '24 GC stunk so much: instead of contributing, everyone took turns sucking.  Maybe this year will be different.

[Blueforlife]

LOL, you critique all the WDFs except the one that counts the most: 2024.  Like 200Y to Kenny alone and multiple TDs?  Ya, not relevant to his re-signing?

And the '21 one was a fumble-fest and tip-INTs that were at best a wash between him and the RECs.  Don't pin that blame on him.

I think you'll find that the entire team is responsible for the sustained success.  Yes, it's not all Zach, but similarly it's not all "the D" or the RB.  We do best when everyone contributes.  That's partly why the '24 GC stunk so much: instead of contributing, everyone took turns sucking.  Maybe this year will be different.

Facts and a balanced post occurs above

[Jesse]

Facts and a balanced post occurs above

bluandgoldguy presented nothing but facts too. In order to be a balanced post, you have to consider both sides of the argument.

Zach has been an incredible boost for our team. He remains our best option. He has been at his worst in every Grey Cup he's played in, and many play-off games.

[markf]

LOL, you critique all the WDFs except the one that counts the most: 2024.  Like 200Y to Kenny alone and multiple TDs?  Ya, not relevant to his re-signing?

And the '21 one was a fumble-fest and tip-INTs that were at best a wash between him and the RECs.  Don't pin that blame on him.

I think you'll find that the entire team is responsible for the sustained success.  Yes, it's not all Zach, but similarly it's not all "the D" or the RB.  We do best when everyone contributes.  That's partly why the '24 GC stunk so much: instead of contributing, everyone took turns sucking.  Maybe this year will be different.

And Failing to contain Fajardo and allowing the game winning td pass v Montreal. Was not Zach.

[Jesse]

And Failing to contain Fajardo and allowing the game winning td pass v Montreal. Was not Zach.

No, but not being able to kill the clock on the previous drive gave Fajardo that opportunity.