Oct 1, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback Mike Jenkins (21) during the game against the Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

One-time Pro Bowl cornerback Mike Jenkins is set to meet with the Jacksonville Jaguars, per a report from Ryan O’Halloran.

Free agent CB Mike Jenkins will arrive in town tonight and meet with #jaguars on Friday as well.

— Ryan O’Halloran (@ryanohalloran) March 28, 2013

Jenkins was a Pro Bowl cornerback in 2009 when he started 15 games for the Dallas Cowboys and recorded five interceptions, 19 passes defensed, and 49 tackles.  For a first round pick, however, he has underwhelmed.  Since ’09 he has only recorded two more interceptions and 20 passes defensed in 41 games (30 starts).

Jenkins will have a pretty long meeting with the Jaguars, spending two days in Jacksonville.  The Jags have a gaping hole in their defensive backfield following the departure of Rashean Mathis (free agent), Derek Cox (San Diego Chargers), and Aaron Ross (Cut, New York Giants) in free agency.  I think Jenkins could be one of the mid-range players that GM Dave Caldwell is looking to be a bridge for the Jaguars as they restock on talent through the draft.  Jenkins is six feet tall and 200 pounds, giving him the size that could fit head coach Gus Bradley’s defense.

Personally I would like it if Jenkins signed with the Jaguars.  There are no guarantees that he will, but he does have talent and could do with a change of scenery.  Playing in Dallas, and being a star there, may have had a negative effect on how he approached the game.  Jacksonville would be a quiet landing spot for him that gives him a chance to revitalize his young career.

- Luke N. Sims

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So how do you compete with in home HD TVs?  One way to do it is by making them even bigger than homes themselves.  Jerry Jones, the man responsible for creating the world’s biggest HDTV screen (72 ft by 160 ft – a 2,100 inch diagonal screen) at the time, has been rewarded with the NFL’s highest attendance the last three years running, in both average home attendance and percentage of stadium capacity filled.  Yep, number 1 three years running.  The three years prior to the new mondo TV screen stadium?  Number 22, three years in a row – in percentage of stadium capacity filled, which should correct for biases in total stadium size that a smaller stadium might face.  Hey, that may only be an n=1, but I’ve seen all I need to see – Mr. Khan, get us some new video boards please!

Video Boards + A Mustacheds -- Guaranteed Popularity. Source : Phil Sears-US PRESSWIRE

This being said, I wanted to look at attendance from the Jaguars angle.  Now, the blackout travesty of 2009 (as it shall henceforth be dubbed) is well-remembered by most Jaguars fans.  As it should be.  In one season, our average attendance dropped 15,000 people. Per Game.  Our 73ish-thousand capacity stadium was being filled by less than 50,000 people per week.  Rumors about the Jags moving to LA flew rampant, and then owner Wayne Weaver was being accosted by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to address the issue.  What you may not realize from that year is that the Jaguars actually weren’t the worst team in the league at filling up the stadium.  For that you can thank 7^th overall pick Darrius Heyward-Bey and his Oakland Raiders.

The less successful Roger. Source: James Lang-US PRESSWIRE

Needless to say, the 2009 season was far more embarrassing for the Jaguars from an attendance point-of-view than it was from a record point-of-view.  And we’ve clearly bounced back – blackout free since ’93 2009.  But how do we look in relation to the rest of the league?  Are we still in Raider territory?  Well in relation to the rest of the league, we’re about as good at filling-up-the-seats as we are at winning games.  We were 7^th worst in the league this past year by record (hence the 7^th pick in the draft) and were 9^th worst (24^th) at filling up the stadium.  In 2010, we were 16^th worst by record and 12^th worst (21^st) at filling up the stadium.  While those numbers might not seem that great to the casual observer, our 73.9% stadium capacity in 2009 is a far cry from the 93.8% and 92.8% numbers we posted the last two years.  So we’re not exactly demolishing our competition when it comes to filling the stadium, but given our 2009 season, our records the last two years, and the incredible roster overhaul our team has seen in the past 2-3 seasons, the place where we’re at is a pretty remarkable feat for Team Teal and the organization as a whole.

Are we back to pre-2009 levels yet?  The answer to that would be a decisive no.  In 2008 and 2007, we saw stadium fill rates of 97.0% and 97.2%, good for 18^th in the league – basically middle of the pack.  So we still have a bit to go to reach the NFL average and get out of the LA discussions once and for all.  But, in going through the ESPN attendance data, I noticed something interesting.  Although the Jaguars have seen sub-par attendance the past 3-5 years at Everbank, we’ve seen better than average attendance on the road.  In fact, from 2008-2011, we were ranked an average of 10^th in road stadium capacity filling, and we were ranked ahead of NFL playoff teams like New England, San Francisco, New Orleans, and Baltimore last year.  What does this mean?! Is Blaine Gabbert unseating Tom Brady as the NFL’s favorite pretty boy QB?

Is Blaine "Tom Brady"-pretty? Source: Phil Sears-US PRESSWIRE

Are the Jaguars really valued more highly by their opponents’ fans than they are by their own fans?  Unlikely.  The underlying cause of our high ranking in filling stadiums on the road is likely the fact that we play teams that generally fill up the stadium.  Well, that or teams have been giving out sweet collectible Byron Leftwich bobbleheads when the Jaguars come into town.  Which do you think it is? (Hint: The Colts, Texans, and Titans ranked in the top 10 in stadium filling capacity the past three years).

– Zain Gowani

Oct 2, 2011; Jacksonville, FL, USA; American flag during the national anthem before a game between the New Orleans Saints and the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Fernando Medina-US PRESSWIRE

We have a Thanksgiving game, a Christmas game, but we don’t have a fourth of July game.  It’s the offseason, a rare time for football players and coaches to relax.  And yet it feels like football, the great American past time, should have a fourth of July game.  A time for families to come together after launching fireworks and watch the Jaguars battle the Colts or battle the Texans.  It doesn’t even have to be high profile – we could have the people wanting to make the roster for the Texans play “America’s Team” (or at least their second or third stringers).

We’re talking exhibition.  We’re talking about analysis.  We’re talking about fun.

While I am about to run outside, play some football, badminton, and launch some fireworks from a semi-inebriated state it is fun to think about how a Fourth of July game would look.  It’d be nice.

Enjoy your Fourth, we’ll be back as per usual with your brilliant Jaguars analysis!

- Luke N. Sims

Let Freedom Ring!