One of the biggest Free Agents of the 2020 offseason just got taken off the market when Zach Collaros signed a two-year contract extension with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. This is a big move for the team that won the 2019 Grey Cup, and will give them a lot of stability after losing several key players in the offseason. But what’s to come in Winnipeg, and around the league, as a result of Collaros resuming his spot at the helm of the Blue and Gold?
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers finished the 2019 season with no doubt that they were the best team in the league after crushing the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to take the Grey Cup victory, but uncertainty loomed on the offseason horizon after the loss of several key players and OC Paul LaPolice, as well as all three of their QBs set to enter the Free Agency. But the Bombers have taken a massive step in the right direction by re-signing the quarterback that led them to Grey Cup victory in 2019 – Zach Collaros.
Collaros looked to be out for the season after a Week 1 injury that resulted in his release from the Saskatchewan Roughriders and trade from Toronto to Winnipeg. He came back full force, starting for the Bombers in Week 19 and leading the team through the playoffs and to Grey Cup victory. It was the comeback story of the season, and for Collaros was the start of a new era. Going into the Free Agency however, there was a lot of uncertainty about who the Bombers would re-sign for the QB position – secondary-turned-starter Chris Streveler will likely be re-signed for his strong play-making skills on the ground (if nothing comes out of NFL interest), but the real question was between Collaros and Matt Nichols, two star QBs with a similar skillset. Yesterday, the Bombers made the call – Collaros will stay, and Nichols will likely move to another team.
Re-signing Collaros means that the Bombers will retain the offensive skill that worked so well for them in the latter half of 2019 – Streveler and Collaros act as great complements to each other, and both work well with the skillset of the team’s offence. There is a fair amount of doubt about how the 2020 Bombers will fare compared to last season, but stability at the QB position will help a lot, and Winnipeg will likely return as defending champions rather than being relegated back to contenders after too many offseason losses. However, there’s question marks around whether the Bombers will continue with the two-QB system that pushed them through the playoffs, and will instead put Streveler in a secondary role – similar to the conversation likely happening in Hamilton. However, there’s no doubt that with Zach back in the game, the Bombers shouldn’t have any problems on-field – there’s just the question of whether Buck Pierce, the new OC, will be able to replicate the formula that Paul LaPolice found success with in 2019. However, as long-time RB coach for the Bombers, Pierce has loads of experience with the team and should be able to slot right into the massive shoes LaPolice has left behind. Lastly, it’s important to note that Strevy might not be sticking around – the QB has been working out with several NFL teams and might be moving south of the border before the 2020 season starts. Still, the Bombers should be more than equiped for success with just Collaros – as long as he manages to stay healthy.
In terms of the bigger picture, the re-signing of Collaros means that Matt Nichols will move to another team when the Free Agency opens on February 11th. With how similar Nichols and Collaros are, there’s no sense in the Bombers keeping both. That means that the former teammates will likely be playing against each other in 2020. As Chris O’Leary of the CFL writes, the two most likely destinations for Nichols are Ottawa or Toronto. First, the Redblacks: moving to Ottawa would mean that Nichols would be reunited with LaPolice, but that situation would likely create some issues as the Redblacks try to balance out the playtime of Nichols and Nick Arbuckle (that is, if Arbuckle decides to re-sign with the team.) The other option, Toronto, doesn’t seem too likely – the Argos have a great QB in McLeod Bethel-Thompson; it’s just the rest of the team that’s struggling. However, a QB that lifted the Bombers from the bottom of the league to Grey Cup champions might be just what Toronto needs to become contenders again in 2020.
To close off, this tweet by Bob Irving highlights how difficult the decision was for the Bombers with all the factors surrounding the team:
What are your thoughts on Collaros’s contract extension and Nichols’s imminent departure? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter @TheEndZone_Blog
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