All in all...another disappointment, and there are several reasons for it again...constants if you may call them that and really easily solved...and many won't like hearing this and will blindly disagree, but it's easily fixed if Osh would pull his head partly out his arse. The onus this off-season is on Walters and his team to sign and bring in the talent...and also part ways with some guys...even if the coach disagrees. I cannot see Miller being happy, nor he wanting a major bedshitting at home next yr in the Cup...let alone not even getting to the Cup... 

Thru necessity and not choice we have had to get younger and thats a plus...there are some solid pieces here now to go with keeping the right vets...and thats they key part of it...right vets. And by vet i mean a guy who's been here this yr and before

Lawler and Schoen..Strev...Wilson...Clercius...BO...Demski...Woli ..MCI...Wallace....Bryant...Randolph...Eli......WJ...Nichols...Bonds...Ford...Holm...Griffin...Kramdi...Kelly...Cole...Garbutt....Woods....Adams...Lawson...was on fence with Haba but he stepped up so deserves another shot......Ayers...Hubert..,,Samson...Chris Smith deserves another shot....Person....Qb Wilson....Hubert deserves another camp....I'd love to see Notree back....thats the core we need to focus on retaining....fill in around that...everyone not mentioned who wasn't primarily a ST guy should not be back...and saves up some serious SMS bucks...and makes us younger...hungrier....better

On the fence with ZC and his hefty contract....he will be another yr older and do we want another season of stats only to stumble in play-offs? It seems to be the trend and not a one off....

We have the guys to maintain a core like we seem to like to do...but a younger core....and we need to go that route...and this is totally up to our HC now to do the right thing(s) 

We are set up for continued sustained success....but we need to bring the right players along for it...We need a stud interior dlineman to augment what we have...we need a legit difference maker linebacker...we need a real returner....we need another proven Canadian offensive lineman...we need a real punter....I see 5 dire needs...which isn't a lot in the grand scheme....and the biggest thing we need to do is construct the roster and the PR aa an entity that compliments and covers it....no more carrying wasted spots....or guys all yr that will never bump anyone off...we seem to do that a lot too

And the biggest key...we need to dress and play the best players we have...regardless of birth certificate and or position...and if that means moving pieces around and switching ratio spots...so be it

Edited November 18, 20241 yr by Booch

Zach has $250,000 guaranteed. Unless he retires, he's back and we are paying him big bucks.

Just now, rebusrankin said:

Zach has $250,000 guaranteed. Unless he retires, he's back and we are paying him big bucks.

or if we can restructure that?...not sure how gaurantee money works, but maybe we eat that and push it to this yr money.....and deal/dump him

 

3 minutes ago, Booch said:

or if we can restructure that?...not sure how gaurantee money works, but maybe we eat that and push it to this yr money.....and deal/dump him

 

No clue if you can but I agree.

250k is fine...re-do the other parts of that contract so he's looking at 420/450k. Try to get him to be back on a team friendly deal as the big contract has not worked out. 

Edited November 18, 20241 yr by Bigblue204

5 minutes ago, Bigblue204 said:

250k is fine...re-do the other parts of that contract so he's looking at 420/450k. Try to get him to be back on a team friendly deal as the big contract has not worked out. 

Seems like a reasonable request, he's being paid top dollar but has not delivered 3 years in a row.

6 minutes ago, Fatty Liver said:

Seems like a reasonable request, he's being paid top dollar but has not delivered 3 years in a row.

I’ll be surprised if Zach sees it that way 

1 minute ago, Mike said:

I’ll be surprised if Zach sees it that way 

or Osh....Osh sees all his fav's...his boys as they were in 2019...2021....Thats a long time ago in football yrs...especially when over 30

He also needs to drop his Canadian bias and play the best players for majority of reps

If we cut Zac (we won't) we pay him $250K. If we keep him we pay him $600K. The question is... is it worth the sunk $250K to move on from Collaros and go to a younger QB? I'd say it is, but I totally understand folks who say it isn't. 

9 minutes ago, TBURGESS said:

If we cut Zac (we won't) we pay him $250K. If we keep him we pay him $600K. The question is... is it worth the sunk $250K to move on from Collaros and go to a younger QB? I'd say it is, but I totally understand folks who say it isn't. 

Risky business, which younger QB do you think could step in and knock off a 12-14 win season?

39 minutes ago, Mike said:

I’ll be surprised if Zach sees it that way 

Right, Zach wants more cake.

14 minutes ago, Fatty Liver said:

Risky business, which younger QB do you think could step in and knock off a 12-14 win season?

I don't think that Collaros will knock off a 12-14 win season next year, so that's not the bar I'd worry about. 

VAJ is the best available QB, behind our O line, he could be amazing.

Ford can make every throw and can run like the wind. He'd be my 2nd choice.

Alexander showed great promise, but he's got very few reps. Not ready for the starting QB job, but would be a great #2 for either of the above QB's.

BTW: Do you think that any team would trade for Collaros and his overly large contract. 

Edited November 18, 20241 yr by TBURGESS

3 minutes ago, TBURGESS said:

I don't think that Collaros will knock off a 12-14 win season next year, so that's not the bar I'd worry about. 

VAJ is the best available QB, behind our O line, he could be amazing.

Ford can make every throw and can run like the wind. He'd be my 2nd choice.

Alexander showed great promise, but he's got very few reps. Not ready for the starting QB job, but would be a great #2 for either of the above QB's.

BTW: Do you think that any team would trade for Collaros and his overly large contract. 

Hamilton might. Especially if Bo wants out.

Edited November 18, 20241 yr by Super Duper Negatron

6 minutes ago, TBURGESS said:

VAJ is the best available QB, behind our O line, he could be amazing.

Rather the qb who loses in the grey cup than the one that flames out before that...

1 minute ago, Super Duper Negatron said:

Hamilton might. Especially if Bo wants out.

I'd expect them to be in on VAJ or Ford before they'd be willing to pay $600K for Collaros. That being said, I'd be happy to trade Collaros and go younger/cheaper. 

 

2 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

Rather the qb who loses in the grey cup than the one that flames out before that...

You're confusing team with QB again. 

4 minutes ago, TBURGESS said:

I'd expect them to be in on VAJ or Ford before they'd be willing to pay $600K for Collaros. That being said, I'd be happy to trade Collaros and go younger/cheaper. 

$350k Delta, approximately (assuming you have to eat $250k and were going to pay a total of $600k).

Can you adequately replace Zach for $350k?

6 minutes ago, TBURGESS said:

You're confusing team with QB again. 

That only applies to vaj and not collaros?

Don't get me wrong I'd have moved on from collaros last season and gone with brown... but vaj ain't done anything to make me think he'd do any more than collaros has here.

42 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

That only applies to vaj and not collaros?

Don't get me wrong I'd have moved on from collaros last season and gone with brown... but vaj ain't done anything to make me think he'd do any more than collaros has here.

Yes, it applies to both. VAJ was behind a horrible O line and an OC who didn't want to run the ball. Behind our O line, with Brady O, he'd have a ton more tools to work with. 

 

47 minutes ago, bluto said:

$350k Delta, approximately (assuming you have to eat $250k and were going to pay a total of $600k).

Can you adequately replace Zach for $350k?

You can add in Strev's paycheck, but no, you can't replace Zach even up for $350K. 

18 minutes ago, TBURGESS said:

Yes, it applies to both. VAJ was behind a horrible O line and an OC who didn't want to run the ball. Behind our O line, with Brady O, he'd have a ton more tools to work with. 

Bunch of people here complaining about the playcalling last night and I for one am disgusted by the effort our receivers put in... so we think vaj would have done more? He got smoked by a riders defense that collaros made look stupid.

15 minutes ago, TBURGESS said:

Yes, it applies to both. VAJ was behind a horrible O line and an OC who didn't want to run the ball. Behind our O line, with Brady O, he'd have a ton more tools to work with. 

 

You can add in Strev's paycheck, but no, you can't replace Zach even up for $350K. 

In a moneyball sense, you can. The regular season's best performing QB had a deal for $361k after bonuses (which I think he made).

And you can add Streveler's money to that to a point, but you still need 2 backups. I'm not saying there aren't other ways, but the business owner in me is trying to look at it from a "If we pay the 37 year old $250k to move on, what could we get for the remainder of what we were going to pay him?" standpoint. I'm not saying that they'd write that cheque, just looking at hypothetical options.

Makes me wonder how "guaranteed" the $250k is... like, was it guaranteed the second Collaros put down his pen, or is it more like guaranteed if he hits certain milestones along the way, or maybe if he is still rostered by a particular date?

37 minutes ago, TBURGESS said:

Yes, it applies to both. VAJ was behind a horrible O line and an OC who didn't want to run the ball. Behind our O line, with Brady O, he'd have a ton more tools to work with. 

 

You can add in Strev's paycheck, but no, you can't replace Zach even up for $350K. 

Our OL has not been good since 2022, especially in pass protection.

VAJ attitude does not fit here. Dudes toxic like fajardo. Reality time. We host the cup. They ain’t gonna get rid of Zach now if they didn’t last year when we had an in house replacement 

Edited November 18, 20241 yr by Goalie

6 minutes ago, Goalie said:

VAJ attitude does not fit here. Dudes toxic like fajardo. Reality time. We host the cup. They ain’t gonna get rid of Zach now if they didn’t last year when we had an in house replacement 

Disagree.  I was actually impressed with VAJ when he got replaced by Rourke.  Can't say what happened behind closed doors, but in public, he was a great teammate.  He was one of their biggest cheerleaders on the sideline and never complained to the media (until after the season anyway).  You just know Fajardo would have had the world's biggest meltdown if the Al's had stuck with Davis when Fajardo came back from his little injury mid-season.

2 hours ago, TBURGESS said:

If we cut Zac (we won't) we pay him $250K. If we keep him we pay him $600K. The question is... is it worth the sunk $250K to move on from Collaros and go to a younger QB? I'd say it is, but I totally understand folks who say it isn't. 

Sink cost fallacy is a good way to look at it. 
 I thought zach has more than 250 guaranteed? 
 It’s a grey cup hosting year after the last 3, salary cap be damned. If ever there was a time to open the vault and take punishment at the end of the year this is it. Probably still won’t be as bad as what bc did this year any way. 

2 minutes ago, bigg jay said:

Disagree.  I was actually impressed with VAJ when he got replaced by Rourke.  Can't say what happened behind closed doors, but in public, he was a great teammate.  He was one of their biggest cheerleaders on the sideline and never complained to the media (until after the season anyway).  You just know Fajardo would have had the world's biggest meltdown if the Al's had stuck with Davis when Fajardo came back from his little injury mid-season.

Idk if he’s matured a lot or not. He has done and said all the right things since he went to bc. Might be real might not. 
 He’s talented, but he’s not the fit I’d want game wise. 

5 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

Sink cost fallacy is a good way to look at it. 
 I thought zach has more than 250 guaranteed? 
 It’s a grey cup hosting year after the last 3, salary cap be damned. If ever there was a time to open the vault and take punishment at the end of the year this is it. Probably still won’t be as bad as what bc did this year any way. 

Idk if he’s matured a lot or not. He has done and said all the right things since he went to bc. Might be real might not. 
 He’s talented, but he’s not the fit I’d want game wise. 

Quote

$250,000 of his $500,000 base salary is guaranteed in the final year of the contract

https://3downnation.com/2022/10/18/top-up-the-cfl-mop-blue-bombers-qb-zach-collaros-earns-raise-with-three-year-1-8-million-contract-extension/

 

1 hour ago, bluto said:

$350k Delta, approximately (assuming you have to eat $250k and were going to pay a total of $600k).

Can you adequately replace Zach for $350k?

We sure as hell can find someone who could play as well as Collaros did in the Cup game for that money.