Music: {allcanada} QUARTERBACK COLLAROS SAYS HE'LL SIGN WITH TIGER-CATS

Thursday, January 30, 2014

{allcanada} QUARTERBACK COLLAROS SAYS HE'LL SIGN WITH TIGER-CATS

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Zach Collaros was a coveted prize ahead of the CFL's upcoming free agency period on February 15. And the bidding season began early when the Toronto Argonauts chose to release their backup quarterback Wednesday.

But, ultimately, the 25-year-old Cincinnati product came to a quick decision on his future: TSN has learned Collaros has chosen to sign with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. CFL sources have also confirmed the team will release last year's starter Henry Burris.

Both Hamilton and Winnipeg contacted Collaros hours after he was released by the Argos. Collaros left the negotiations to his agents, Mike Simon and Greg Diulus, and decided to focus on discussing his potential place in both the Ticats and Bombers' offence.

Winnipeg was long considered the frontrunner to sign Collaros, especially after Ottawa RedBlacks GM Marcel Desjardins insisted he would take no free agents during December's dispersal draft —opting instead for veteran quarterback Kevin Glenn, and B.C.'s Thomas DeMarco - and Calgary re-signed both Drew Tate and Bo Levi Mitchell.

Nevertheless, several CFL sources insisted Hamilton was interested in Collaros, despite Burris passing near 5,000 passing yards in 2013 to lead Hamilton to a berth in the 101st Grey Cup, and his willingness to be a part of a situational quarterback rotation system with Dan LeFervour and Jeremiah Masoli.

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.

With Toronto star quarterback Ricky Ray out with a knee then shoulder injury, Collaros started seven games in 2013, appeared in 14 games, and threw 2,316 yards with 14 touchdowns and six interceptions. He led Toronto to a league-record four-game, road win streak between late August and late September.

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