Surroundings add to Zach Collaros' comfort in second season with Saskatchewan Roughriders
Zach Collaros is more comfortable in his surroundings in his second training camp with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Murray McCormick • Regina Leader-Post
Zach Collaros, shown during a rookie-camp session Friday at Mosaic Stadium, is entering his second season as the Saskatchewan Roughriders' starting quarterback. Photo by Troy Fleece /Regina Leader-Post
SASKATOON — There's a different Zach Collaros at the Saskatchewan Roughriders' training camp.
"It's definitely more comfortable for me," the 30-year-old quarterback, a second-year Roughrider, said Monday at Griffiths Stadium. "It's the same the locker room and you're around the same coaching staff. For the most part, it's the same players. It's good to be back here."
Kyran Moore, a second-year receiver with the Riders, has also noticed a difference in Collaros.
"Coming into Year 2, he's more comfortable and he trusts us more with having the (offence) down," Moore said. "I can see it in the way that he walks."
Craig Dickenson was hired as the Riders new head coach after Chris Jones departed for the NFL. Photo by TROY FLEECE /Regina Leader-Post
A change in the Riders' coaching staff may have made a difference for Collaros, with Craig Dickenson taking over as head coach from Chris Jones.
Jones bolted on Jan. 15, one week after signing a contract extension, to join the NFL's Cleveland Browns as the senior defensive assistant.
The departure of Jones, who was the Riders' vice-president of football operations, general manager, head coach and defensive co-ordinator, ended the gamesmanship that dominated quarterback discussions last year at this time.
Jones maintained there was an open competition for the starting quarterback's role, even though it was clear that Collaros was No. 1.
There aren't any doubts this year that Collaros is the starting quarterback. General manager Jeremy O'Day proclaimed that Collaros was the Riders' No. 1 quarterback after he re-signed with the Riders as a free agent.
Collaros wasn't the Riders' first choice as a free-agent quarterback. They might have preferred one of the big three free-agent quarterbacks — Mike Reilly, Trevor Harris or Bo Levi Mitchell. The Riders even made a spirited play for Mitchell, who turned down more money from the Green and White to re-sign with the Calgary Stampeders.
The Riders' best option was to re-sign Collaros and hope that he can avoid the injury issues that marred his 2018 season. Collaros missed four regular-season games as a result of a concussion he suffered during a 39-12 pre-season loss to Calgary.
He was also sidelined for the West Division semi-final — a 23-18 loss to the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers — after suffering another concussion during Saskatchewan's regular-season finale.
"I don't think I could have prevented either concussion last year," Collaros said. "Other than that, I don't think that I took too many bad (hits). The first concussion was in a pre-season game and I was in there in the third quarter for whatever reason. The other one was just unfortunate."
The Riders have addressed some of the protection issues that may have contributed to Collaros' concussions. The offensive line has been fortified with the signing of 2018 first-round draft choice Dakoda Shepley and it should be improved with the returns of veterans Brendon LaBatte, Philip Blake, Dariusz Bladek, Thaddeus Coleman and Takoby Cofield.
The signing of free-agent running back William Powell, an East Division all-star with the Ottawa Redblacks in each of the past two seasons, will also help.
Powell surpassed 1,000 yards in 2017 and 2018. He will force opposing defences to respect the Riders' running game and take pressure off Collaros to throw the ball, in addition to being a solid blocker.
"He's a great player," Collaros said. "(It is beneficial) anytime you can have a guy out there like that who can carry the ball 15 or 25 times, can catch the ball out of the backfield and does a great job of protection, too.
"He's a great teammate and we're really happy that he's here."
The Riders won 10 of 14 games Collaros started in 2018, but his touchdown passes (nine) were outnumbered by the interceptions (13). He has higher expectations in his second season with the Green and White.
"Anytime you have an entire off-season to prepare you have higher goals and expectations," Collaros said. "That just comes with familiarity because you think you should be better because you've been there. I'm always going to have high expectations and I expect the same from everybody around me."
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