VANCOUVER — The BC Lions announced on Thursday they have released three players, including National defensive lineman David Menard alongside American defensive backs Parnell Motley and Lawrence Woods III.
The team also announced later on Thursday that it had signed National long snapper Kyle Nelson, who spent 10 years as a long snapper in the NFL.
Menard was selected in the fourth round (32nd overall) of the 2014 CFL Draft and spent most of his career with the Leos, except for a lone season with the Montreal Alouettes in 2021.
Since 2016, the six-foot-one, 259-pound lineman suited up in 109 games, registering 80 defensive tackles and 30 sacks.
In 2021 with the Montreal Alouettes, Menard recorded 18 defensive stops and eight sacks before finishing runner-up to Bo Lokombo for CFL Most Outstanding Canadian.
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Nelson (six-foot-two, 240 pounds) moves north after a 10-year NFL career spent mostly in San Francisco where he appeared in 89 games as the team’s long snapper from 2014-2020 while recording 16 combined tackles. Nelson also started in Super Bowl LIV against the Kansas City Chiefs to end the 2019 season. Following his 49ers stay, Nelson appeared in one game with Indianapolis in 2021.
Nelson debuted in 2012 with the San Diego Chargers, dressing in six games before suiting up in 11 games with Washington the next season.
He played long snapper and tight end at New Mexico State from 2007-2010, hauling in 66 receptions for 559 yards and two touchdowns and recording 18 combine tackles across 50 games.
Kyle is the son of Mark Nelson, a long-time CFL coach who had stints in Edmonton, Toronto and San Antonio before a stint with Rick Campbell in Ottawa which included a Grey Cup win in 2016. Mark later served as a guest coach with the Lions at 2022 training camp in Kamloops.
Kyle’s grandfather Roger played 13 seasons with Edmonton, winning Grey Cups in 1954 and 1956. Roger was named to the team’s Wall of Honour in 1987.
Woods III signed with the Lions in December of last year after two seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats where he returned 56 kicks for 1,267 yards and a major.
Motley signed in BC in January and had a practice roster stint with the Lions in late 2023 after beginning last season in camp with the Toronto Argonauts. After attending 2022 training camp with the Cleveland Browns, Motley moved north to the Calgary Stampeders and suited up in one regular season game while recording a pair of defensive tackles.
The Lions also announced that American defensive lineman Steven Richardson was moved to the retired list.
The d-lineman signed with the Leos in November after two seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2019, 2021), where he amassed 38 defensive tackles, six sacks and a forced fumble while helping the Bombers capture back-to-back Grey Cup championships. In 48 games at the University of Minnesota from 2014-2017, Stove racked up 103 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks and five forced fumbles. During his senior season with the Gophers, he tallied 23 tackles and added one forced fumble while being named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention.
Richardson originally signed with BC early in 2022 free agency, but a pair of Achilles injuries suffered that year prevented him from suiting up.