Phillips takes parting shot at Lions
DB calls offer after 12 years with B.C. ‘kind of insulting’
VANCOUVER (CP) — Ryan Phillips would always tell his younger B.C. Lions teammates that if Geroy Simon was expendable, they all were.
Simon, the CFL’s all-time leading receiver, couldn’t agree on contract extension with B.C. before the 2013 season. So after 12 years on the West Coast, Simon was dealt to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Phillips knew his day would also come, but the 34-year-old didn’t expect his tenure in B.C to end this way.
On Friday, the Lions announced they and the veteran defensive back had “mutually decided” to part ways, cutting Phillips loose after 12 seasons and just four days before the start of CFL free agency.
The Seattle native said in a telephone interview the term “mutual” was technically true. However, what the Lions offered in terms of a contract and potential playing time were a slap in the face.
“The starting point was nowhere near worth the value of someone of my calibre,” said Phillips, who joined B.C. in 2005. “The pay cut was outrageous.
“It’s one thing to restructure and it’s another thing to pay cut all the way. You don’t ask a 12-year vet with my resume to go back to making third-year type money. That’s just kind of insulting, let alone the role of being behind some guys that haven’t done anything.
“If you want to say ‘mutual’ I guess so in that sense . . . it’s mutual I wasn’t going to settle for something like that. They weren’t going to budge, they weren’t going to give me a legitimate shot to compete.”
Lions head coach/GM Wally Buono didn’t fault Phillips for his reaction, but Buono reiterated it’s his job to make tough decisions to try to improve his team.
“We wanted him to be a part of our team going forward,” said Buono. “The role then had to change. Unfortunately, we couldn’t agree.”
Phillips played 212 regular-season games with the Lions, helping them win the Grey Cup in 2006 and 2011. He leaves B.C. with 47 interceptions and six touchdowns to go along with 478 tackles.