\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
![\"MIKE](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/4251167_web1_260506-Bombers-0049.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
MIKE DEAL \/ FREE PRESS FILES<\/p>\n
Quarterback Taylor Elgersma has consistently impressed during Bombers training camp, but his showing in the team\u2019s pre-season opener against Saskatchewan made it clear there\u2019s still work to be done.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Now, one pre-season game isn\u2019t going to make or break his career, but Saturday\u2019s showing made it clear that a lot of work is needed before Elgersma can be annointed the heir apparent at the position.<\/p>\n
With Collaros subbed out after the opening series, Elgersma took the field and went on to go 6-for-13 for 78 yards and two interceptions. He also ran four times for 18 yards.<\/p>\n
He had two passes dropped, and on his second INT, he threw a ball in the direction of rookie pass catcher TJ Davis, who slipped.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019ll learn from it, for sure. He\u2019s not happy right now,\u201d said O\u2019Shea on Elgersma afterwards.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe had a stern look on his face when he rolled into the locker room. I got to tell him to enjoy himself a little more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elgersma\u2019s outing was less than ideal, but it wasn\u2019t all bad.<\/p>\n
The Wilfrid Laurier product did showcase his arm talent by connecting with rookie receiver Dorian Singer twice for completions of 20 or more yards.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s also not forget that Elgersma hasn\u2019t played the Canadian game in nearly two years.<\/p>\n
COLLAROS HITS GROUND RUNNING<\/p>\n
If Zach Collaros had his way, he would\u2019ve stayed in the game.<\/p>\n
Can you blame him?<\/p>\n
He was rolling on all cylinders in his lone drive under centre by going three-for-four for 57 yards.<\/p>\n
The drive was capped off by a Brady Oliveira touchdown scamper.<\/p>\n
Pre-season is pre-season, but Collaros was matched up against a Riders defence mostly made up of starters.<\/p>\n
It wouldn\u2019t be a surprise to see Collaros return to vintage form this season now that his pal Tommy Condell has taken over playcalling duties.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s great to be back out there playing against a different defence that we don\u2019t see every day,\u201d said Collaros postgame.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat you want to do is go out there and try and execute a plan, try to get things to slow down because it doesn\u2019t matter how long you\u2019ve been in this game, the first time back out there, things are moving fast.\u201d<\/p>\n
WATCH OUT FOR WHITE<\/p>\n
Speaking of Collaros, all three of his completions went to the same target: Tim White.<\/p>\n
The duo were showing immediate signs of chemistry on Day 1 of training camp and it translated to Saturday.<\/p>\n
His third and final grab was his most impressive, when he had to make an adjustment to haul in an underthrown ball to prevent an INT.<\/p>\n
White, 31, is coming off four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and was signed by the club in the off-season after being let go by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.<\/p>\n
As for rookie receivers, Singer was the lone standout with three catches on six targets for 59 yards. The Bombers don\u2019t have any obvious openings at receiver but the 23-year-old out of Utah is making a strong case to be kept around.<\/p>\n
PERKINS MAKES CFL DEBUT<\/p>\n
Bryce Perkins hasn\u2019t had a tremendous training camp.<\/p>\n
However, last year\u2019s UFL MVP did showcase some promise during his game action in the fourth.<\/p>\n
He completed five-of-nine passes for 67 yards and one interception \u2014 which was a desperate heave with 12 seconds left in the game.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Quarterback Bryce Perkins howed promise during the fourth quarter against Saskatchewan.<\/p>\n The 29-year-old former Los Angeles Ram played rather conservatively but threw a tremendous 22-yard strike to second-year Canadian Joey Corcoran.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, very mobile. Probably had some other opportunities he probably could\u2019ve taken, but once again, he\u2019s new to this game,\u201d said O\u2019Shea. \u201cPerk\u2019s been in it for 12 days. There\u2019s going to be some pictures that are just a little cloudy for him, and those will clear up as we go along.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a good thing that Perkins fared well as the Bombers don\u2019t have any other options at the moment. Payton Thorne left the team early last week, and Terry Wilson unexpectedly followed suit on Friday.<\/p>\n The team\u2019s in-house reporter asked O\u2019Shea after Saturday\u2019s game for some insight into Wilson\u2019s departure.<\/p>\n Wilson was entering his third season in Winnipeg and was battling for the No. 2-and 3 gigs behind Collaros.<\/p>\n \u201cHe came to my office, and we had a decent conversation. It wasn\u2019t short. It wasn\u2019t overly long either. But it was a must for him to gather information, and he just felt it was time for him to go,\u201d said O\u2019Shea.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was last minute but it\u2019s something that I don\u2019t think was a rash decision. These things creep into your mind over time and then they eventually come to a point where a conversation has to be had.\u201d<\/p>\n WHO\u2019S AT CORNER?<\/p>\n The Bombers started a pair of rookie cornerbacks on Saturday in Warren Burrell and Ridge Texada.<\/p>\n Veteran Jonathan Moxey \u2014 who was signed in free agency this off-season \u2014 will lay claim to one of those spots in Week 1, leaving Burrell and Texada to duke it out for the lone job posting in the secondary.<\/p>\n Burrell gave up a nearly 50-yard play early on and was covering Daniel Wiebe when he caught a game-winning, three-yard touchdown with 45 seconds remaining.<\/p>\n Texada wasn\u2019t perfect but was clearly better on the night and made one of the plays of the game when he tipped a Jack Coan pass that ended up in the arms of Evan Holm for a 55-yard pick-six. Texada also picked off a pass himself late in the third off Wiebe bobbling a pass.<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/taylorallen<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Taylor Allen Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree\/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMIKE DEAL \/ FREE PRESS FILES<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Reporter
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n