TURF BURN: Medlock Move Show That Sharks Still Searching For Quarterback

​Brice Burge
​Head of Management

​Editor's Note: This is a weekly column regarding the sport, written by AFT's Head of Management and Host of AFT Buzz, Brice Burge. Columns come out Wednesdays. ​​

Jake Medlock was cut from the Jacksonville Sharks. A hometown kid who played both high school and college football in the area, this should have been a great story for indoor football.
Unfortunately that wasn't the case for Medlock as he has now signed with Tuscon Sugar Skulls, back in the IFL from whence he came before. There's no doubt that he will bounce back and remain a top quarterback in which ever league he plays.
But the 2018 passing yards leader was brought in to compete with CIF runner up Liam Nadler for the open QB spot.
This was the only quarterback battle at the beginning of the offseason in the NAL and it was shaping up to be a great matchup. At least initially.
With Maine shutting down, their previously signed players are back on the market. One of those players, Jonathan Bane, has jumped into Jacksonville to fight for that starting role. With his addition, it was time to cut whomever wasn't leading the existing battle aka Medlock.
The Sharks were obviously unhappy with their offensive performance last season, finishing fourth in major passing statistics in the NAL with only the two now-defunct franchises behind them. With Maine making a massive push near the end of the year, Bane's Mammoths actually had stronger passing stats in the second half of the season. 
For Jacksonville, the season that they had in 2018 was well below expectations. This is their league and to not even be considered a threat when the playoffs rolled in is not their style. In some ways, that can be good based on the growth of the league. But for most of the more vocal fans in Florida, there's a thought that this is a focus on league development and not on winning.
The Sharks responded by being very active in free agency and getting the pieces they wanted at every position. It wasn't just at quarterback, but they also improved their lines and the wide receiver position quickly. They're showing that they still want to be the team of old and win in their decade of dominance push.
But for the time being, it looks like Jacksonville is still growing their quarterback situation as the battle begins between Nadler and Bane. Let's see how it plays out.