02/13/13: D-FW sports chat with columnist Kevin Sherrrington

I'm here, let's go.

What they see, frankly, is what I see too: He's working behind one of the worst offensive lines in the game, and his athleticism and elusiveness is all that keeps the Cowboys in most of them. Yes, he's made a lot of mistakes. But quarterbacks under constant pressure make mistakes. Until the Cowboys have a legitimate option at QB, they're right to keep him. Having said that, Jerry needs to revise his standard procedure, which is not drafting QBs. He needs someone to groom as an eventual replacement. He needs to start with this draft.

You're absolutely right, Mark. When Jerry traded up to get Mo Claiborne, he got some talent at a position where they need it, even though Claiborne didn't have a great season. I think he'll eventually pan out just fine. But they weren't just short a cornerback. They were short in the OL, too. He should have used those picks to plug other holes, as well. I wouldn't have a problem with two OL and a DL with the first three picks, depending, of course, on what's available. If a really good player who's significantly higher on your board than what's available at your need, then you should go with the greater talent. Much better chance of success. But the draft should tilt towards linemen.

I think people are giving too much credit to the switch to the SEC. What made the A&M season great, and its recruiting season so good, was its success. Had the Aggies gone to the SEC and bombed, no one would be dying to go there. What happened was a perfect storm of events: Mike Sherman left Kevin Sumlin a lot more talent than people realized, Sumlin was smart enough to go with Johnny Manziel, and he also changed the culture in the locker room. On top of that, the Aggies won in the toughest conference in football. So the SEC move certainly was a big part of it, but not the only factor.

I think the bigger question is if he'd go. If it's to a contender, he will. If not, he might just up and quit. I know Rick Carlisle would hate to see him go. But at this point, I'd trade anyone but Nowitzki. This team isn't going anywhere. Time to think about the future.

Now that he's been relieved of play-calling, I expect to see better time management. I don't expect to see as much confusion before the snap. I think one of his best qualities is coming to a consensus, but you can't always do that on a sideline. You have to make some snap decisions. Maybe he'll be better prepared for that now. The change won't solve all their problems. He still needs better personnel, especially in the OL. But it's a start.

They will say the bullpen, which lost a lot of parts. But bullpens are re-assembled every year, and the Rangers have gotten pretty good at it. The possible 50-game suspension of Nelson Cruz is a concern because they don't have a potential replacement in the lineup, unless you think Mike Olt is ready to put up those kinds of numbers. I would say the biggest concern is whether the rotation is taking a step up or not. Matt Harrison and Yu Darvish must maintain, at the least, and Derek Holland has to rebound from a poor season. Ogando has to prove his first half as a starter a couple of years ago wasn't a fluke, and they need a fifth. If the rotation improves, as it should, a lot of the problems we've read about this winter will go away.

Spring training always piques my interest. A great time of year. A look forward at prospects while still a charming look backwards, at the way sports used to be: Players accessible to fans, small parks, day games, a fun close-up of baseball the way it used to be.

I think he's an upgrade at point guard, obviously. If they think they can keep him, it's a no-brainer.

Could be. They certainly liked the way Soto worked with Darvish last year. They're concerned about how catchers relate with the staff, as they should be. I think it's been one of Ron Washington's strong points. When the Rangers thought they had the market cornered on young catchers a few years ago, he clearly didn't like the way they handled the staff. He believes a catcher's first job is to handle the staff, not drive in 70 runs or throw out 40 percent of basestealers. Those qualities are nice, but not the most important. I agree with that. We'll see if Pierzynski is that guy. He did a pretty good job in Chicago.