The BC Lions made several roster moves on Thursday, including the signing of Canadian long-snapper Kyle Nelson. Additionally, they announced the release of three players, including Canadian defensive lineman David Menard, and two American defensive backs, Parnell Motley and Lawrence Woods III. Furthermore, they revealed that American defensive tackle Steven Richardson has retired.
Kyle Nelson, a long-snapper from Utah State, joins the BC Lions after a decade-long stint in the NFL, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers, where he appeared in 89 games from 2014 to 2020. He also played six games with the San Diego Chargers in 2012 and 11 games with the Washington Redskins in 2013 before joining the 49ers. Nelson last played in the NFL in 2021 with the Indianapolis Colts. In college, he played for New Mexico State, where he appeared in 50 games and also contributed as a tight end, catching 66 passes for 559 yards and 2 touchdowns.
David Menard, a defensive lineman from Montreal, joined the BC Lions after being selected in the fourth round of the 2014 CFL Draft. He has since played in 108 CFL regular-season games, with 14 of those games coming with the Montreal Alouettes in 2021. Throughout his career, most of his games have been played with BC, where he has amassed 79 tackles and 29 sacks.
Last season, Menard appeared in 18 games for the Lions, tallying 14 tackles and 3 sacks. His release may come as a surprise to many, considering he had a standout season in 2022 with 9 sacks and 8 sacks in 2021.
Parnell Motley, a defensive back from Oklahoma, joined the Lions in January. He played one game for Montreal in 2022, recording 2 tackles, and appeared in 5 NFL games for 3 different teams between 2020 and 2021, registering 5 solo tackles and 3 assisted tackles.
Motley played collegiately at Oklahoma, appearing in 52 games with 33 starts from 2016 to 2019. During his time there, he recorded 130 solo tackles, 46 assisted tackles, 6 interceptions, 6 forced fumbles, and a touchdown.
Lawrence Woods III, another defensive back, signed with the Lions in December. He played in 21 games with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats over the last 2 seasons, recording 23 tackles and 11 special teams tackles. In 2022, he returned 56 kickoffs for an average of 22.6 yards per return with 1 touchdown.
Woods played college football at Truman State from 2017 to 2019, where he recorded 79 tackles, 27 knockdowns, 5 interceptions, and 2 sacks. He also had 5 kickoff return touchdowns during his college career.
Steven Richardson, a defensive lineman from Minnesota, signed with the Lions in November after recovering from 2 consecutive Achilles tears. He played in 25 CFL regular-season games with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers over the 2019 and 2022 seasons, recording 38 tackles and 6 sacks. Richardson was known for his ability to stop the run and as a formidable pass rusher.
In college, Richardson played for Minnesota from 2014 to 2017, appearing in 48 games with 44 starts. He recorded 51 solo tackles, 52 assisted tackles, and 12.5 sacks during his collegiate career. He spent some time on the LA Chargers’ practice squad after signing with them as an undrafted free agent in 2018.
Unfortunately, Richardson retired due to injury, with his last few seasons being marred by his non-participation. He was a Grey Cup Champion in both of his CFL seasons.
