FRIDAY COMMENTARY – THE BIG SHOE
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)
THE BIG SHOE DROPPED THURSDAY EVENING.
THERE WERE, AND ARE, HUNDREDS OF AVAILABLE PLAYERS IN CFL FREE AGENCY THIS WINTER. THE ACTUAL MARKET DOESN’T OPEN UNTIL FEBRUARY 8, BUT EVERYBODY HAD THEIR EYE ON REIGNING LEAGUE MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER ZACH COLLAROS.
WHILE THE BOMBERS HAVE BEEN BUSY SIGNING BIG NAMES LIKE WILLIE JEFFERSON, JACKSON JEFFCOAT AND ADAM BIGHILL IN RECENT WEEKS, THE GLARING OMISSION WAS THE STRAW THAT’S STIRRED WINNIPEG’S DRINK THE PAST COUPLE YEARS… ZACH COLLAROS.
NOW, LET’S TAKE A MINUTE TO EXAMINE THINGS. I’VE FIELDED LOTS OF QUESTIONS FROM CFL FANS RECENTLY WHO’VE STATED THESE LEAGUE-WIDE SIGNINGS AREN’T REALLY A BIG DEAL. UNLESS A BIG NAME ACTUALLY LEAVES THEIR CURRENT TEAM, THESE SIGNINGS ARE AKIN TO GOING HUNTING IN THE ZOO.
MAYBE, BUT I APPLAUD CFL TEAMS FOR DOING THEIR BEST TO STAY IN THE NEWS, ESPECIALLY WE’VE CRITICIZED THE LEAGUE OVER THE YEARS FOR GOING DORMANT OVER THE WINTER.
BUT BACK TO ZACH. HE SIGNED ON THURSDAY, AND THE BOMBERS ARE POPPING CHAMPAGNE CORKS OVER IT. WELL THEY SHOULD.
BUT I NEVER THOUGHT HE WAS GOING ANYWHERE ANYWAY. KNOWING HIM AS WELL AS I DO, ZACH FAVOURS STABILITY, ISN’T BIG ON MOVING HIS FAMILY, AND ABOVE ALL, WANTS TO WIN.
SIGNING WITH WINNIPEG ACCOMPLISHES ALL OF THAT AND I FIGURED THE ONLY THING HOLDING IT UP WAS MONEY.
WHY WOULDN’T ZACH WANT TO BE THE CFL’S HIGHEST-PAID PLAYER SINCE WINNIPEG WOULDN’T HAVE WON A THING WITHOUT HIM?
AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED, WITH 3DOWNNATION REPORTING ZACH’S IN LINE TO EARN $550,000 IN 2022.
THE NEXT HIGHEST-PAID PIVOT, WE’RE TOLD, IS THE RIDERS’ CODY FAJARDO.
SOMETHING TELLS ME THESE TWO WILL GO HEAD-TO-HEAD FOR A THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR THIS SEASON WITH A TRIP TO THE GREY CUP ON THE LINE.
WHO’S GOING TO EARN HIS MONEY MORE?
THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV across Canada and the USA, including on Telus Optik TV across Alberta & BC. Call your cable provider for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)
This is great news for Zach. After all he has been through he deserves a financial cushion for all he has sacrified. This is great news for the Roughriders. When a team blows up it’s salary management system it means they will join B.C in the cellar. It is a zero sum gain. When you pay in one area it takes from the other area. Winnipeg was the template for how to build a balanced roster – QB, Canadians, Kicking Game. Everyone else gets to eat after. My guess is the Canadians not on the starting O-line got a call… Read more »
Good for Winnipeg. In looking at who Winnipeg has res-signed, their salary cap is being eaten up by a few big names. Zach is earning $ 550 K, Willie is $ 225 K, Jackson is $ 185 K and Adam will be bigger than the $ 125 K he earned. You add those totals that equals in excess of $ 1.1 M. Also that does not include if they resign Andrew Harris. Last year Andrew made in excess of $ 200 K. Even if Andrew signs for the same amount, that is over $ 1.3 M and that amount is… Read more »
Find it interesting that it’s only 1yr. I thought he’d be looking for something in the 3yr range!
Not sure they”blew up” their salary cap he is earning slightly more than Cody (but with 2 championships). I’m pretty sure that Jefferson & Bighill are earning less than they did in 2019 (not sure about collaros his 2019 checks came from a few teams). It is hard to balance salaries for veteran players but as problems go figuring out how to carve out budget space for championship winning MVP players is a good one. Honestly guys all around the league that are signing before testing the open market points to some teams that players want to be part of.… Read more »