Nye: Chick, Dressler weren’t just Riders; they’re Rider legends

How hard was Saskatchewan hit by the news of Weston Dressler and John Chick being released?

Tears flowed in vehicles as they heard the news for the first time on our radio station. One text-in wanted to give me credit for making his son cry. Another wanted to know how one would explain to their child why the Riders cut Weston Dressler after Santa got him a jersey for Christmas.

The stories continue. More tears flowing.

You see, Weston Dressler and John Chick weren’t just Riders. They are already Rider legends. Dressler is third on the list of receivers behind just Ray Elgaard and Don Narcisse. Chick is fourth on the list of all-time sack men behind the likes of Bobby Jurasin, Vince Goldsmith and Gary Lewis.

The two will be honoured in the New Mosaic Stadium some day as they get inducted into the team’s Plaza of Honor.

But football is a business, not a popularity contest.

That’s where Chris Jones comes in and if Jones didn’t have the attention of Rider Nation before, he certainly does now.

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RIDERS RELEASE DRESSLER, CHICK

The vice president of football operations, general manager and head coach needs to rebuild this team back to the championship team that was put on the field in 2013 and to that he needs cap space.

Dressler and Chick were easy targets, making a reported $500,000 combined and due some hefty bonuses on Friday.

Push came to shove and at 3:20pm on Thursday, Jones handed down his decision. It was time to go for the two players after the negotiations toward more cap-friendly contracts went nowhere and there were no takers on any trades.

Jones comes from the Don Matthews school of coaching and clearly management. When Matthews took over teams, it was just a matter of time until the players who got some loyalty points in the previous regime were jettisoned.

Saskatchewan is reliving that mindset after Eddie Lowe, Dave Albright, Richie Hall and Larry Hogue were among those ‘The Don’ dispatched when he arrived halfway through 1991, going into the ’92 season.

Chris Jones has already released nine players who were holdovers from the Riders’ 2013 Grey Cup team in his first 38 days on the job. Many, like Matthews cuts, were on the defensive side of the ball.

Jones has only one task – win.

And paying players what, in his opinion, is nonsensical money isn’t going to help him do that. Exit Dressler and Chick, stage right.

WATCH: Riders GM Chris Jones addresses moves

This will be the toughest part for Saskatchewan fans to take — the purge stage of a new regimes take over. But let’s make sense of just this last week of moves.

Gone are defensive end John Chick and receiver Weston Dressler and the sixth and seventh round picks given up in the Maurice Price trade. Coming in are receiver Maurice Price, a sixth round pick and defensive end Shawn Lemon.

The Riders may have given up a slight reduction in talent (of course both Price and Lemon can prove that theory wrong) and saved themselves approximately $150-200,000 in cap space to bring in even more talent.

After the pain goes away, it’s hard to argue with Chris Jones logic.

Although, if you thought Jones was finished … HA!