Sharks Announce 24-Man Roster

(photo credit: jaxsharks.com)

After all the preparation, planning, and a successful training camp, the Jacksonville Sharks have officially announced their 24-man roster for the 2016 season, set to kick off on April 2 in Anaheim against the LA KISS.

While the roster does stay mainly unchanged (14 players on last year's American Conference champion squad return), the Sharks made a few changes on the offensive side of the ball, and some significant changes on the defensive side of the ball in an attempt to bring back "Sacksonville".

Jacksonville returns four All-Arena players from 2015: OL Mo Ruffins, FB Derrick Ross, and WRs Joe Hills and Tiger Jones. Under center, Tommy Grady will return for his second season in the red and black (sixth overall in the AFL), coming off a 4,660 passing yard, 95 TD performance last season.

The new offensive faces feature QB Sean Brackett, WR Roger Jackson, and OL Duke Robinson. Bracket will replace Lee Chapple as Grady's backup, having thrown for 1,114 yards and 23 scores as a rooke in Las Vegas last year. Jackson, who spent 2015 in New Orleans, caught 74 passes for 926 yards and 16 TDs, which means he'll be a nice complement as one of the #3 receivers rotating with London Crawford. The Sharks did add Jacksonville University standout WR Andrew Robustelli to the roster, but will start the season on Injured Reserve.

Along the front three, Ray McNeil and Cornelius Lewis support an offensive line that led the league in only allowing eight sacks in 2015.

The defensive front four has been overhauled, and will be led by two veterans: MLB Dexter Jackson, who spent the last two years with the Tampa Bay Storm, and DE Khreem Smith, who has 8 years of experience between the AFL and the CFL. The other DEs will be rookie Laith Wallschleger and veterans Anthony DeGrate, Jason Holman, and Antron Dillon.

At nose guard, Jacksonville will look to veteran Mark Weivoda and newly acquired Chuckie Hunter to put pressure up the middle on opposing QBs. Joe Sykes, who rewrote the league's defensive record books last season as a lineman, is currently contemplating retirement and has not reported to the team this season. If he decides to hang up the cleats, he'll be sorely missed.

While the front four will completely change, the secondary will stay pretty much the same. All-Arena DB and 2015 Rookie of the Year Greg Reid will return for his second season, and fan favorites Laroche Jackson and Micheaux Robinson come back home to Jacksonville. David Hyland and All-Arena JLB Alvin Ray Jackson round out the rest of the defense.

Here's the official list of the 24-man roster:

• QB: Tommy Grady and Sean Brackett
• FB Derrick Ross
• OL: Mo Ruffins, Ray McNeil, Cornelius Lewis, Duke Robinson, Jason Holman (who will also play DL)
• WR: Tiger Jones, Joe Hills, London Crawford, Roger Jackson, Andrew Robustelli (IR)
• DB: Greg Reid, Laroche Jackson, Chris Smith, David Hyland (who will also play WR and JLB), Micheaux Robinson, and Alvin Ray Jackson (who will also play JLB)
• MLB Dexter Jackson
• DE: Khreem Smith (who will also play NG), Laith Wallschleger, Mark Weivoda (on IAR), Antron Dillon, Anthony DeGrate
• NG Chucky Hunter