VANCOUVER 鈥� Ryan Phillips would always tell his younger B.C. Lions teammates that if Geroy Simon was expendable, they all were.
Simon, the CFL鈥檚 all-time leading receiver, couldn鈥檛 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 eventually come. But the 34-year-old didn鈥檛 expect his tenure in B.C to end this way.
On Friday, the Lions announced they and the veteran defensive back had 鈥渕utually decided鈥� 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 with The Canadian Press the term 鈥渕utual鈥� was technically true. However, what the Lions offered in terms of a contract and potential playing time were a slap in the face.
鈥淭he starting point was nowhere near worth the value of someone of my calibre,鈥� said Phillips, who joined B.C. in 2005. 鈥淭he pay cut was outrageous.
鈥淚t鈥檚 one thing to restructure and it鈥檚 another thing to pay cut all the way. You don鈥檛 ask a 12-year vet with my resume to go back to making third-year type money. That鈥檚 just kind of insulting, let alone the role of being behind some guys that haven鈥檛 done anything.
鈥淚f you want to say 鈥榤utual鈥� I guess so in that sense 鈥� it鈥檚 mutual I wasn鈥檛 going to settle for something like that. They weren鈥檛 going to budge, they weren鈥檛 going to give me a legitimate shot to compete.鈥�
Lions head coach/GM Wally Buono didn鈥檛 fault Phillips for his reaction. But Buono reiterated it鈥檚 his job to make tough decisions to try to improve his team.
鈥淲e wanted Ryan to be a part of our football club,鈥� said Buono. 鈥淲e wanted him to be a part of our locker-room.
鈥淲e wanted him to be a part of our team going forward. The role then had to change. Unfortunately we couldn鈥檛 agree.鈥�
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.
鈥淵ou feel like you put your blood, sweat and tears into something 鈥� it鈥檚 hard not to take it somewhat personal,鈥� said Phillips. 鈥淚 could have easily gone: 鈥榊ou know what? My heart is in B.C. 鈥� I鈥檒l just settle for whatever.鈥�
鈥淏ut you鈥檝e got to take the emotion out and say from a professional standpoint, as an athlete, as a competitor, what is benefiting you and benefiting the family?鈥�
Phillips appeared in all 18 games for the Lions in 2016, registering one interception, his lowest total since 2008, and 30 defensive tackles. But the year before he tied for the league lead in interceptions with six despite missing four games to injury 鈥� the only instance over his 12 seasons where he missed time.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 say I need this as motivation, but if you want to say it puts a little bit more kick in the step then why not?鈥� said Phillips. 鈥淚 can understand (the decision) if my best years were three, four, five years behind me.鈥�
The Lions, who lost to Calgary in last year鈥檚 West Division final after a bounce-back 12-6 campaign, finished last in the CFL in 2016 with nine interceptions. Part of that came down to major injuries to three key contributors but Buono consistently said throughout the year his defensive backfield needed to be better.
鈥淭his is not something I look forward to doing and this is not something the club took lightly,鈥� Buono said of waving goodbye to the four-time CFL all-star. 鈥淲hen the person gives 12 years of their life 鈥� I felt it was at least worthwhile to sit down and have a conversation and see if we couldn鈥檛 get into a slightly different relationship.鈥�
The Lions don鈥檛 often re-sign veteran players, let alone ones in their mid-30s. But Buono agreed the situation was similar to Simon, who retired after winning the Grey Cup with Saskatchewan and is now a member of the Lions鈥� front office.
鈥淲hat we offered Geroy or Ryan is not something we usually offer players (at their age),鈥� said Buono. 鈥淯sually with a player like that you say: 鈥榃e鈥檙e going in a different direction,鈥� and life goes on.
鈥淏ut I felt because of Ryan鈥檚 great contribution to the club, his longevity, that I had to sit down and discuss with him this role, this possibility.鈥�
Phillips turned that down flatly and is now looking for a new CFL home.
鈥淚 want to be a part of a team that has a chance of winning,鈥� said Phillips. 鈥淚 want to be a part of team I can be a value and an asset to. A team that鈥檚 going to appreciate what I bring to the table, plus the intangibles.
鈥淚鈥檓 happy about my decision, but it鈥檚 still sad and disheartening at the same time because I鈥檝e been a part of a team and an organization, and my family has as well, for the past 12 years.鈥�
Notes: The Lions announced Friday defensive back T.J. Lee, who missed all but four games last season because of an Achilles injury, has signed a contract for 2017. Lee could鈥檝e become a free agent Tuesday. B.C. also signed Canadian defensive lineman Dylan Ainsworth and announced the retirement of offensive lineman Tim O鈥橬eill, an 11-year veteran.
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Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
