The Jacksonville Jaguars today signed offensive tackle Gannon Shepherd and linebacker Troy Pelshak to their active roster to fill vacancies created yesterday when linebackers Hardy Nickerson and Lonnie Marts were placed on injured reserve.

Shepherd, 23, was on the Jaguars' practice squad from August 29 until being waived on September 26, and then on the Chicago Bears' practice squad since early October. He was originaly signed as an undrafted rookie by the Bears and spent this year's preseason with them until being waived on August 23. A defensive tackle at Duke, Shepherd was moved to offensive tackle by the Bears. He started 27 of 39 games played in college. A native of Marist, Ga., Shepherd is 6-8, 301 pounds.

Pelshak, 23, spent all of last season with the Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams, playing in nine games and making six tackles. He was waived by the Rams in the final cuts on August 28 of this year, then re-signed on September 5, playing in three of four games before being waived on October 4. He has been out of football the last two months. The 6-2, 242-pound Pelshak was All-Conference at North Carolina A&T in 1998. He was born in Nigeria and raised in Oklahoma and North Carolina.

Shepherd will wear jersey No. 67, and Pelshak will wear No. 54.