WHY SIGN TATE? ONE CAN ONLY SPECULATE
The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ latest addition has been out of professional football all year — which means that he is fitting right into the, er, offence.
With the CFL playoffs looming, the Roughriders announced Saturday that they had signed 34-year-old quarterback Drew Tate, who last played a down with the 2017 Ottawa Redblacks.
Tate, who was released by Ottawa in February, subsequently joined the Coastal Carolina University Chanticleers as a defensive assistant.
His sudden, unexpected and as-yet-unexplained return to the CFL has prompted some questions:
(1) What is a Chanticleer?
(2) Why did the Roughriders sign Tate?
(3) What, if anything, does Tate’s arrival say about the status of Saskatchewan starting quarterback Zach Collaros?
And now, the answers:
(1) A rooster.
(2) Tate is an insurance policy. (3) Not very much, it appears. On Saturday, shortly after Tate was signed, the ever-popular
CFL source indicated to this scribbler that Collaros apparently is fine.
He missed the final three quarters of the Roughriders’ regularseason finale — a 35-16 victory over the visiting B.C. Lions on Oct. 27 — after absorbing a hit to the head from defensive end Odell Willis.
Roughriders head coach Chris Jones told the media after the game that Collaros “should be fine, but we pulled him just to be safe,” referring to the move as a precaution.
The team then embarked on a bye week, which signalled a virtual news blackout — save for the announcement regarding Tate.
For all it’s worth, Collaros was signing autographs on Saturday for the nice people at Capital Automotive Group. Would the Roughriders have allowed their No. 1 quarterback to make a public appearance if he was experiencing fogginess? Doubtful.
But all of this, we hasten to add, is speculative. More illumination is not expected until Wednesday, when the Roughriders are to begin practising in advance of Sunday’s West Division semifinal against the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Now, do not rule out the possibility of more gamesmanship, this being the playoffs and all.
At this time of year, teams often go to extraordinary lengths to conceal information about injuries, lineup changes, et cetera, so Jones may opt for some reticence when asked for details.
However, it is difficult to conceal a starting quarterback — one who is wearing Joey Walters’ old No. 17 — at an open practice.
In the event that Collaros is not practising on Day 1, the aforementioned “CFL source” will be discredited and deported.
The likelihood, though, is that Collaros is fine. So why add Tate?
Collaros has proven to be a porcelain passer. He has left three games this season following a hit to the head.
The 30-year-old passer already had a history of concussions when he was acquired by the Roughriders in January, so this year’s setbacks are not reassuring.
Jones and associates have to be very concerned about two things at this juncture: (1) The fragility of Collaros; (2) The lack of a trusted backup.
Brandon Bridge was a gamechanger last season when he stepped in for Kevin Glenn, throwing 10 touchdown passes in only 138 attempts.
This year, for some reason, Bridge has been a different player (see: one touchdown pass in 131 attempts).
When Bridge is in the game, offensive co-ordinator Stephen Mcadoo is disinclined to ask the quarterback to do anything except hand off or throw short, safe passes that put the Roughriders in perfect position to punt.
So put yourself in the shoes of Jones and Mcadoo. What do you do?
The Roughriders have a 10-4 record in games started by Collaros, so the team clearly can win with him at the controls. However, there has been a susceptibility to injury.
And if the misfortune should recur, Bridge is the next man up, followed by David Watford.
To this point, the Roughriders have scraped by with a belowaverage offence.
They have a 12-6 record and a legitimate shot at a Grey Cup, despite only periodic contributions from the offence.
The Roughriders don’t ask a lot from Collaros: Manage the game as a veteran should; avoid turnovers; provide leadership and maturity.
It is asking a lot — despite the limited expectations — for the Roughriders to enjoy a prosperous playoff run without their No. 1 quarterback.
One hit, one play, can change everything.
In 1970, for example, Ron Lancaster was limited to only one play in the third and deciding game of the Western Conference final against the visiting Calgary Stampeders. Gary Lane performed respectably at quarterback, especially in light of the frigid conditions at Taylor Field, but the Roughriders nonetheless lost 15-14 on an improbable, last-second field goal by Larry Robinson.
Such was the conclusion to a season in which the Roughriders set an enduring franchise record for victories (14).
Fast-forward to 2014. Saskatchewan had an 8-2 record with Darian Durant as the starter. Sans Durant, who suffered a season-ending elbow injury in the Roughriders’ 10th game, they were 2-7 (playoff defeat included).
After Durant was hurt, the Roughriders turned to Tino Sunseri, Seth Doege and, eventually, 41-year-old Kerry Joseph while attempting to salvage the season.
Joseph had been out of football until his playing career was revived by the Roughriders. It did not end well, but what were the alternatives?
For whatever reason, Jones — like Roughriders GM Brendan Taman and head coach Corey Chamblin in 2014 — surveyed the landscape and concluded that the presence of a veteran, even an inactive one, could be beneficial.
Hence the arrival of Tate, whose name was promptly added to the rooster ... er, roster.