Darrell Davis: Riders get fooled by Jones

Craig Reynolds looks like a complete fool right now. And I warned him. I wrote a commentary last week imploring the Saskatchewan Roughriders president to not let Chris Jones escape any contract unless it was to become the head coach of an NFL team.

Reynolds obviously didn’t listen. He gave Jones a one-year extension as Saskatchewan’s vice-president of football operations, general manager, head coach and defensive co-ordinator with an escape clause that evidently allowed a non-committed mercenary to leave for any NFL job.

News broke yesterday that Jones was joining the Cleveland Browns as a “senior defensive specialist.” It’s not exactly career advancement.

Jones left one week after stating he had “unfinished business” with the Roughriders. Jones was lying to everyone about his loyatly while he put in place a coaching staff and prepared to desert Saskatchewan, exactly as he had departed three years earlier from the Edmonton Eskimos. The Roughriders have been caught totally unprepared for next season without the person responsible for their on-field product. At least they’ve got a president.