Dru Brown

[StrevyISaBEAST]

Hello Everyone,

longtime reader here. just decided to sign up.

you've all provided great analysis and wondering if like me, you think we should have paid to keep dru after deveoping him and seeing his on field skills?

[GCn20]

5 minutes ago, StrevyISaBEAST said:

Hello Everyone,

longtime reader here. just decided to sign up.

you've all provided great analysis and wondering if like me, you think we should have paid to keep dru after deveoping him and seeing his on field skills?

Your name says it all....StrevyISaBEAST.  I can't prove it, but I think the decision to move on from Brown was decided last year when Strevy came to town and watch a game. I think that there was more going on then that. Discussions with the Bombers started imo. 

That being said, Love Dru and think he will be successful. Unfortunately, our QB room is just a little too talented right now to let him have his chance here.  Zach still has a couple good years left, and Dru's time is now.

Edited March 7 by GCn20

[StrevyISaBEAST]

Just now, GCn20 said:

Your name says it all....StrevyISaBEAST.  I can't prove it, but I think the decision to move on from Brown was decided last year when Strevy came to town and watch a game. I think that there was more going on then that. Discussions with the Bombers started imo. 

That being said, Love Dru and think he will be successful. Unfortunately, our QB room is just a little too talented right now to let him have his chance here. 

Tough Problem to have eh?... 😆

Dru impressed me is all. I think long term a bigger upside than Zach. But I love Zach too. Just sucks to see brown go

[17to85]

I'd have rolled the dice with streveler and brown personally but might not have been an option. Feel better letting brown go assuming we keep streveler anyway. Collaros has a year or two left IMO before he needs to be replaced.

[StrevyISaBEAST]

2 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

I'd have rolled the dice with streveler and brown personally but might not have been an option. Feel better letting brown go assuming we keep streveler anyway. Collaros has a year or two left IMO before he needs to be replaced.

Me too, Mainly because of Browns poise off the bench, and Zach crapping the bed in the last 2 cups. 

[wbbfan]

No right or wrong move really. 
 Either you go young or you try to see if we can win a gc this year or next. 

Personally, strevy plus brown would be the best case scenario for going younger. I’m a believer in brown. 
 But making that decision and possibly not making a gc because you went young at qb is a hard hard pill to swallow. I get why the mafia went this direction. And having stevy is a great option for now and the future. We’ve hedged our bets really well. 
 Trying to sell season ticket and a gc next year with out Zach would be real hard. 

[Doublezero]

I really wish Bombers had been able to keep Brown and had somehow dealt Collaros. But I guess Zach is at the point in the life of his contract, with possibly some guarantees, that made that impossible. The problem is that Zach is 35 and has developed happy feet - starts to scramble early and throws with a hint of desperation. Brown looked more poised when he came in last season and definitely throws a more accurate ball. It'll be interesting to see how pass pro goes this season with changes on the Oline. There will be tweaks and adjustments, no doubt. Hoping Collaros can stay healthy but ... I think Strevy could end up starting for us sooner rather than later.

Edited March 8 by Doublezero

[Noeller]

not saying this necessarily means anything, but DB contract is 2 years... just as Collaros contract ends. Who knows........? 

[Fatty Liver]

Just now, Doublezero said:

I really wish Bombers had been able to keep Brown and had somehow dealt Collaros. But I guess Zach is at the point in the life of his contract, with possibly some guarantees, that made that impossible. The problem is that Zach is 35 and has developed happy feet - starts to scramble early and throws with a hint of desperation. Brown looked more poised when he came in last season and definitely throws a more accurate ball. It'll be interesting to see how pass pro goes this season with changes on the Oline. There will be tweaks and adjustments, no doubt. Hoping Collaros can stay healthy but ... I think Strevy could end up starting for us sooner rather than later.

Brown has not been hit yet, that's about to change shortly.  We'll see how his game evolves in time after a couple of rounds on the 6 game recuperating from serious injuries like Zach has.  One thing to note, Brown and Collaros are right around 6'-0", difference is Zach weighs 218 lbs. and Brown is a slender 191 lbs., the difference is muscle mass which has served him well the past 4 years.

[SpeedFlex27]

44 minutes ago, Fatty Liver said:

Brown has not been hit yet, that's about to change shortly.  We'll see how his game evolves in time after a couple of rounds on the 6 game recuperating from serious injuries like Zach has.  One thing to note, Brown and Collaros are right around 6'-0", difference is Zach weighs 218 lbs. and Brown is a slender 191 lbs., the difference is muscle mass which has served him well the past 4 years.

Dru Brown is playing behind a bad OL. Yeah, they've signed some veterans but we'll see. Ottawa has always signed free agents but have never amounted to much. I expect Brown is this year's version of Nick Arbuckle.

[Doublezero]

1 hour ago, Fatty Liver said:

We'll see how his game evolves in time after a couple of rounds on the 6 game

Conjecture. For sure both Collaros and Brown have benefitted from Winnipeg's development of a solid Oline and a scheme that offered pretty dang good QB protection. But how Brown might fare elsewhere is irrelevant to the opinion that we should have kept him here. The size difference between the 2 QBs is also irrelevant. After all, Doug Flutie was 5'!0 180lbs - bigger does not equate to more success or durability. For sure Zach is a warrior who, as you say, has had to sit out for extended periods due to serious injuries. The fact that he has suffered so many injuries - especially hits to the head - underscores my basic concern about him. After all, Collaros missed games in 2015 and 2016 with the torn ACL - not clear he ever recovered from that 100%. In 2018 he was sidelined for several games due to a head injury and he did not play for most of 2019 due to head injury. We have a valiant QB who is 35 and needs to avoid hits at all costs as they could be career ending. To me, it appears that is taking him longer to process things out there post-snap. Brown definitely got the ball away quicker than Zach and was more accurate and threw with velocity. That's how it appeared. Plus Brown knew Buck's offence. That's why I'd have kept him. But we didn't. Glad we've got Strevy though. 

[Brandon]

Trevor Harris is 6'3 215 lbs and he gets hurt frequently as well.  I don't think size is the issue.  

What will be an issue is going from a well oiled machine running on full cylinders  to a team that for the last few years has been in a haze and completely dysfunctional.   

It makes a huge difference for a QB when he isn't continously under pressure,  having to frequently go 2nd and long,  receivers dropping balls or running bad routes etc....     

Does Dru Brown have so much talent that he can elevate the mess around him,  I don't think so.   Hopefully Ottawa makes the right changes to at least give the guy a chance.   

[SpeedFlex27]

4 hours ago, Doublezero said:

Conjecture. For sure both Collaros and Brown have benefitted from Winnipeg's development of a solid Oline and a scheme that offered pretty dang good QB protection. But how Brown might fare elsewhere is irrelevant to the opinion that we should have kept him here. The size difference between the 2 QBs is also irrelevant. After all, Doug Flutie was 5'!0 180lbs - bigger does not equate to more success or durability. For sure Zach is a warrior who, as you say, has had to sit out for extended periods due to serious injuries. The fact that he has suffered so many injuries - especially hits to the head - underscores my basic concern about him. After all, Collaros missed games in 2015 and 2016 with the torn ACL - not clear he ever recovered from that 100%. In 2018 he was sidelined for several games due to a head injury and he did not play for most of 2019 due to head injury. We have a valiant QB who is 35 and needs to avoid hits at all costs as they could be career ending. To me, it appears that is taking him longer to process things out there post-snap. Brown definitely got the ball away quicker than Zach and was more accurate and threw with velocity. That's how it appeared. Plus Brown knew Buck's offence. That's why I'd have kept him. But we didn't. Glad we've got Strevy though. 

 

 

Edited March 8 by SpeedFlex27

[Doublezero]

1 hour ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

I've read before where posters here like you & others have said that it appears to YOU that Collaros is taking longer to process his decisions to get the ball away quicker. Have you ever played qb in the CFL or any level of pro ball? Are you a qb coach? Can you read CFL defenses to know that Zach is actually processing things slower? How can you actually say that other than you're just a fan & don't know the difference between a dig route & a curl? Just askin'?

What's the point in getting personal about it? You can't prove my observations are invalid. This is a fan forum and I have an opinion about who gets the ball off quicker, Collaros or Brown. It is a valid opinion based on what my eyes are telling me. And you are welcome to disagree. If you did disagree I would respect your opinion rather than resort to an ad hominem argument. I guess we could run a stopwatch off game tape and test my observation. No, I have not played QB or coached at the pro level. I would describe myself as just a fan. Although I have lined up as a player in the CFL. In the backfield. And I know how to run a route. And that's all I'm gonna say. Since you asked.

[SpeedFlex27]

1 minute ago, Doublezero said:

What's the point in getting personal about it? You can't prove my observations are invalid. This is a fan forum and I have an opinion about who gets the ball off quicker, Collaros or Brown. It is a valid opinion based on what my eyes are telling me. And you are welcome to disagree. If you did disagree I would respect your opinion rather than resort to an ad hominem argument. I guess we could run a stopwatch off game tape and test my observation. No, I have not played QB or coached at the pro level. I would describe myself as just a fan. Although I have lined up as a player in the CFL. In the backfield. And I know how to run a route. And that's all I'm gonna say. Since you asked.

It's not personal. You say he's slower processing. Okay well, I just want you to prove your point. And just saying, "Well, I noticed he seems slower".... Slower, what? It pisses me off as a fan with so many experts ready to write the guy off for a qb who didn't even have 5 CFL starts to his name. Let Dru make his money & get beat up in Ottawa. We'll see how he does.

Well, if you played as a running back in the CFL then tell us why Zach is processing slower & I'll take it all back & say sorry.

[Jesse]

We haven't had a great QB since Khari, and even that was short lived. I'm personally not willing to let Collaros go until it's retirement time. 

 

[17to85]

Zachs processing may or may notnbe slower but he was slower getting the ball away and took some hits he didn't have to. 

Guy was looking a bit gun shy with the OL taking  step back last season.

[coach17]

I honestly dont think Strevy signs with Brown penciled in as the starting QB.

 

[Pete Catan's Ghost]

6 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

It's not personal. You say he's slower processing. Okay well, I just want you to prove your point. And just saying, "Well, I noticed he seems slower".... Slower, what? It pisses me off as a fan with so many experts ready to write the guy off for a qb who didn't even have 5 CFL starts to his name. Let Dru make his money & get beat up in Ottawa. We'll see how he does.

Well, if you played as a running back in the CFL then tell us why Zach is processing slower & I'll take it all back & say sorry.

If these comments piss you off, I can’t imagine that there is a lot on this board that makes you happy. 

[blue85gold]

1 hour ago, coach17 said:

I honestly dont think Strevy signs with Brown penciled in as the starting QB.

 

That makes a lot of sense to me too. Easier to sign for less now when you have the chance to show that you can take over for the old guy over the next couple years. 

[SpeedFlex27]

41 minutes ago, Pete Catan's Ghost said:

If these comments piss you off, I can’t imagine that there is a lot on this board that makes you happy. 

As a fan I can be pissed off about anything. You reacted negatively to my comments so that means you didn't like them.

It's just the same old typical **** from fans who have become spoiled & are never satisfied. One guy plays well in a few games as a rookie. Then he becomes the Next One that fans love. Just get rid of the old vet standing in his way because he's starting to suck. Meanwhile the old vet threw for something like 4300 yards on a team that went 14-4 in 2023 & 40-10 since the CFL resumed play in 2021. It's ridiculous.

1 hour ago, 17to85 said:

Zachs processing may or may notnbe slower but he was slower getting the ball away and took some hits he didn't have to. 

Guy was looking a bit gun shy with the OL taking  step back last season.

I can understand that with his injury history but we'll see how he fares this season with the changes on the line. Hopefully, he does fine.

[Bigblue204]

1 hour ago, Pete Catan's Ghost said:

If these comments piss you off, I can’t imagine that there is a lot on this board that makes you happy. 

Speed is our resident happy guy. Didn't you know?

[Bigblue204]

27 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

As a fan I can be pissed off about anything. You reacted negatively to my comments so that means you didn't like them.

It's just the same old typical **** from fans who have become spoiled & are never satisfied. One guy plays well in a few games as a rookie. Then he becomes the Next One that fans love. Just get rid of the old vet standing in his way because he's starting to suck. Meanwhile the old vet threw for something like 4300 yards on a team that went 14-4 in 2023 & 40-10 since the CFL resumed play in 2021. It's ridiculous.

I can understand that with his injury history but we'll see how he fares this season with the changes on the line. Hopefully, he does fine.

Brown wasn't a rookie. In fact, if memory serves me you were on the board talking about how he should never take another snap after his rookie year and absolutely horrible showing.

Sometimes we all have bad takes.

I was on the fence with Collaros vs Brown. I see an argument for keeping both. I'm more inclined to Collaros as he's been there done that. But I'd be lying if I said he didn't regress a bit. He got happy feet often. Forced throws, especially deep. And was late on more than a few occasions with his deep throws leading to contested catches/ints etc. saying all that... all of that with the exception of happy feet have been complaints of mine about his game since 2019. 

He's not perfect....but...he's still my Quarterback!!

Edited March 8 by Bigblue204

[Stickem]

Brown has proved nothing as a starting qb.....Until he's been behind centre from the get go in Ottawa, and proves to the fans there, he's got the goods, then he remains just another good back-up qb. dealt to them from the Bombers....Wish him all the luck in the world...He's got a lot of growing to do and 'should/could be' what they're looking for in Redblack country....we'll see

[GCn20]

21 minutes ago, Bigblue204 said:

Brown wasn't a rookie. In fact, if memory serves me you were on the board talking about how he should never take another snap after his rookie year and absolutely horrible showing.

Sometimes we all have bad takes.

I was on the fence with Collaros vs Brown. I see an argument for keeping both. I'm more inclined to Collaros as he's been there done that. But I'd be lying if I said he didn't regress a bit. He got happy feet often. Forced throws, especially deep. And was late on more than a few occasions with his deep throws leading to contested catches/ints etc. saying all that... all of that with the exception of happy feet have been complaints of mone about his game since 2019. 

He's not perfect....but...he's still my Quarterback!!

The only area that Zac "regressed" if you wanna call it that is in ball security. He threw up too many 50/50 balls last year. Other than that, the guy was easily the best QB in the CFL. He wasn't out of this world last year, like the two years before, but when we say take a step back it should be put in context. He stepped back from being an almost unanimous MOP to simply being the top QB in the CFL. And to anyone who say 'ya but Chad Kelly", that was all media and the need for a bonafide star in Toronto. Collaros was better by just about every QB metric.

Edited March 8 by GCn20