The Winnipeg Blue Bombers were one of the most aggressive teams in CFL free agency, which has franchise quarterback Zach Collaros feeling excited for 2026.
“I think it just sends a message like, ‘Hey, we’re trying to win now. We want to continue competing for West (Division) championships and competing for Grey Cups,’” Collaros told the media in Winnipeg on Tuesday.
“It’s the CFL, you can win the Grey Cup any year, but I think just echoing that and showing the guys, ‘OK, we’re in it to win it this year.’ Not that we haven’t been in the past, obviously, we try to do this every single season, but if there is deficiencies the front office saw, they tried to address them and that definitely stands out to the guys, for sure.”
The Blue Bombers had the league’s worst passing attack last season due in part to an inconsistent receiving corps. Ontaria ‘Pokey’ Wilson played only six regular-season games after trying out for the New York Jets, Dalton Schoen missed 13 regular-season games due to a torn ACL, and a hamstring injury prevented Nic Demski from suiting up for the East Semi-Final against the Montreal Alouettes.
Winnipeg signed veteran receiver Tim White to a one-year contract worth a little over $220,000 after he was released by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The three-time All-CFL selection has had four 1,000-yard seasons and should provide the receiving corps with some much-needed speed.
“He’s fast. I love his experience. He’s played this game, I think it’s four or five years in a row with 1,000 yards. His durability (stands out). I talked to (Hamilton head coach) Scott Milanovich a couple weeks back when this all went down and he said to me, ‘You’re gonna love Tim, he hasn’t missed the practice in two, three years,’” said Collaros.
“The people that I talked to that know of Tim and that have been around him have all echoed the same sentiment about him — he’s a great teammate, he cares a great deal, so he’s going to fit in well. The tangible stuff stands out on film — he’s fast, he’s a reliable guy. … He’s played in (new offensive coordinator) Tommy (Condell)’s system, so I was able to talk to Tommy a little bit before (the signing) went down.”
Canadian receiver Tommy Nield was added after a breakout season with the Roughriders on a two-year deal worth $175,000 in 2026. Collaros said he unwittingly threw to Nield a few years ago at a camp hosted by former CFL receiver Shamawd Chambers in Ontario, where Collaros lives during the offseason. The veteran quarterback was impressed by the native of Guelph, Ont. but didn’t initially recognize him.
“I pulled Shamawd aside, I go, ‘Who is that? What college does he goes to?’ He’s like, ‘That’s Tommy Nield, you idiot.’ I was like, ‘Oh, s–t,’” said Collaros.
“(Nield) really impressed me and I kind of developed a relationship with him there, and over the last two seasons have watched him a lot more closely. The run he put together in (Saskatchewan) last year was really impressive and he’s played all the different spots (in the receiving corps). He’s a great route-runner, he’s been coached by great coaches. Marquay (McDaniel) had him out there in (Saskatchewan) and Pete Costanza had him in Toronto. Pete always speaks really highly of him, too. He’s another guy that can play different positions, can play at a high level, and he’s a Canadian guy, so that makes a big difference, too.”
The Blue Bombers also signed 3DownNation’s top free agent: offensive lineman Jarell Broxton. The 32-year-old was named All-CFL with the B.C. Lions last season and was the league’s top-ranked pass blocker among offensive tackles, per Pro Football Focus. Kendall Randolph, who started at right tackle for Winnipeg in 2025, allowed a pressure rate of 5.1 percent. Broxton, who is expected to take over that position with Stanley Bryant remaining at left tackle, allowed a pressure rate of 2.4 percent.
“(Broxton is a) stud,” said Collaros. “Big-bodied guy, moves his feet well. I know (Patrick Neufeld) speaking to (former Winnipeg offensive lineman Michael) Couture out there in B.C. was upset that they lost him when that all went down. I was able to speak to (Broxton) for a couple of days after that all happened and he seems like a great guy. Some of the people that I’ve talked to from out there in B.C. and people that have been around him say the same thing — great guy, great teammate, he’s gonna fit in really well, and from my interactions with him, I could definitely see why.”
Collaros didn’t think the Blue Bombers were going to be in the market for Broxton — he’ll earn $250,000 in hard money in 2026 and 2027 — and was surprised to see the Tiger-Cats release White. The team also added two key defensive pieces in two-time All-CFL defensive lineman Jake Ceresna and veteran cornerback Jonathan Moxey.
Based on his conversations with veteran teammates like Neufeld, Bryant, Deatrick Nichols, and Redha Kramdi, Collaros feels a sense of optimism after a down year in 2025.
“(There’s) a lot of buzz (among longtime Blue Bombers),” said Collaros. “We all sit back and play fantasy GM, too, and (think about) what we would do. There’s a lot of agreement on a lot of these signings from the players standpoint and a lot of excitement. A lot of us were texting during the three, four-day window, whatever that was.”
“(As players), we develop relationships outside of our locker room, too, so there’s guys that we do know that you try to be in touch with during the offseasons, but the signings that we had I thought were awesome. All five of the guys — and I know we’ve brought back a lot of people, too — but the five kind of marquee signings that we made from other organizations, I thought, are really going to help our club, so it’s exciting.”
