BC Lions Sign Seven Players to Roster, Including Five Americans
After the BC Lions completed their regular season with a playoff loss to the eventual Grey Cup champions Montreal Alouettes, the team announced their first group of signings.
The announcement was made Wednesday that five Americans and two national players were added to the club.
Offseason work begins. #BCLions sign seven for 2024:
— BC LIONS (@BCLions) November 22, 2023
🇺🇸 DL 'Stove' Richardson
🇺🇸 RB Vance McShane
🇺🇸 WR Ayden Eberhardt
🇺🇸 OL Jacky Chen
🇺🇸 DB Rico Gafford
🇨🇦 OL Tyler Packer
🇨🇦 Kieren Poissant
MORE INFO 📝| https://t.co/qiVutZ1ckF pic.twitter.com/AhPVZo1Z1S
Here is the list of the players that signed with the Lions:
- Steven Richardson, defensive lineman
- Vance McShane, running back
- Ayden Eberhardt, wide receiver
- Jacky Chen, offensive lineman
- Rico Gafford, defensive back
- Tyler Packer, offensive lineman
- Kieran Poissant, wide receiver
Two players on this list have played in games with BC this season, Packer and Eberhardt. Packer was a sixth-round pick of the 2022 CFL Draft for the Lions, appearing in two games in 2023. Eberhardt also played in two games, catching five passes for 69 yards in those games.
Richardson played in 21 games with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, recording 38 tackles, six sacks and a forced fumble. He played a key role in Winnipeg winning back-to-back Grey Cups. The Lions signed Richardson in 2022, but has suffered Achilles injuries that prevented him from hitting the field for BC.
Gafford is a veteran of the NFL after playing wide receiver for a good portion of his career. He played for the Tennessee Titans, Oakland Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers from 2018-22, catching two receptions for 66 yards in four games. Gafford played in the USFL with the Birmingham Stallions earlier in the year before being added to the practice roster for BC in September.
Poissant, McShane and Chen all spent time with the Lions either in training camp or on the practice roster. McShane and Chen were both on the team’s practice roster in September. Poissant was in training camp with the team earlier in the season.
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Anthony Miller has been covering professional spring football since 2019 including XFL, USFL, and CFL. He was a local news reporter in Texas before transitioning to sports. Other sites he writes for includes College Football Network and NTZ Network.