lonestarsports-blog

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By: Clayton Shearman

The Texas Rangers have been very busy in the last couple of weeks. Right now the Rangers are still trying to negotiate a deal with Yu Darvish but there is a limited amount of information and insight on the negotiations... More on BaseballReflections.com

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Prince Fielder in Dallas Friday

Via - ESPN Dallas

The Texas Rangers' interest in Prince Fielder is high enough that a handful of club officials met with the free-agent slugger in a face-to-face meeting at a Dallas-area hotel Friday.

Rangers CEO Nolan Ryan said Saturday at Rangers FanFest that the club's meeting with Fielder and agent Scott Boras was "very preliminary."

Ryan was asked by a young fan as part of a Q&A at FanFest at the Arlington Convention Center what he thought about the meeting.

"We met Prince yesterday and his agent, Scott Boras, to try to get a true feel for where they are at this point in time in his free agency to see if we thought there might be something there that would work for the Texas Rangers," Ryan said. "It's very preliminary and it's very early in any type of negotiation process. It was an initial meeting that we had."

The club is exploring all possibilities to improve and Fielder is likely a backup option should a deal with Yu Darvish fall through, a source said.

The Rangers have until Wednesday at 4 p.m. CT to reach an agreement with Darvish, or the 25-year-old pitcher will play in Japan in 2012 and the Rangers won't have to pay the $51.7 million posting bid.

That does not mean the club couldn't afford both Darvish and Fielder, should Fielder's contract be structured a certain way. ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney tweeted earlier Friday that one executive believes that the Rangers, Nationals and Cubs may ultimately get a contract structure of six years with an opt-out after three years at $22 million to $24 million a year. That could make it easier for the Rangers to afford both Fielder and Darvish.

Fielder makes sense for the Rangers, given their lack of production at first base in recent years and the fact that he's a power, left-handed bat. If the club signs Fielder, it could mean that Josh Hamilton isn't in Texas past the 2012 season. He's a free agent after this season and the two sides haven't reached a long-term agreement.

Fielder will turn 28 in May and is the top hitter left on the market now that Albert Pujols has signed with the Angels.

Fielder played in all 162 games in the regular season for the Brewers in 2011, batting .299 with 38 homers and 120 RBIs. He has played in at least 157 games in all six of his full seasons in the majors and has 230 home runs and a .282 average in that span.

More on ESPNDallas.com

Richard Durrett covers the Rangers for ESPNDallas.com.

Follow Richard Durrett on Twitter: @espn_durrett

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Kitna to Retire

By: Seth Lynch

15 year veteran quarterback Jon Kitna is expected to announce his retirement at the end of the week. Coming off a back injury which held Kitna out of the last seven games of the season, it comes as no surprise for him to hang up his cleats.

 Kitna played three years in Detroit, five with the Bengals and the first of his NFL career in Seattle. Overall, Kitna started 124 games with a  starting  record of 50-74. Kitna’s career ends with 168 touchdowns to 163 interceptions with an overall quarterback rating of 77.5. 

This leaves the Cowboys with only two quarterbacks on the roster heading into the offseason with Tony Romo and Stephen McGee.

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Callahan, Henderson Bring Success to Coaching Staff

By: Seth Lynch

Every football fan knows the name Bill Callahan. Whether it be his Superbowl appearance with Oakland in 2002 or his five year tenure with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Although the presence of legendary coach Hudson Houck will be missed, Callahan is an excellent replacement. Callahan spent the last four seasons as the New York Jets' offensive line coach, two of which the Jets lead the league in rushing. The Jets offensive line was also in the top ten in sacks allowed in two of Callahan's four years. Dallas has a young and very talented offensive line which gives Callahan excellent tools to work with.

In addition to Callahan, Dallas is near a deal with former Cleveland Browns secondary coach Jerome Henderson to replace the departed Dave Campo. The Browns were ranked second in the NFL in passing yards allowed last season and that is with a less than stellar pass rush. Henderson worked along side Rob Ryan in Cleveland so there should be a better chemistry in the secondary next season for a defense that looked confused all of this year.

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Dave Campo and now Hudson Houck are done in Dallas

By: Clayton Shearman - @One_Strike_Away on Twitter

A day after Secondary Coach Dave Campo was rumored to be finished in Dallas, another positional coach is now gone as well. Legendary Offensive-line coach Hudson Houck will retiring this year. According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN, former New York Jets O-Line coach Bill Callahan will take over for Houck. Callahan will have large shoes to fill in Dallas.

The Dallas Cowboys are also hiring Cleveland Browns Jerome Henderson as their new defensive backs coach / secondary coach, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

This is Breaking News:

@BryanBroaddus said on Twitter moments ago, " Just heard that Hudson Houck is done as the offensive line coach for the Cowboys. Man had a very nice career, was a pleasure to work with."

@CalvinWatkins said, "Hudson Houck tells me 'I had a great run. My 13 years with the cowboys were all wonderful.' Hudson Houck said he still has a lot of energy and while he's retiring you never know about a comeback."

@mortreport Chris Mortensen from ESPN says, "Eric Dickerson & Emmitt Smith have in common: Hudson Houck was O-line coach for much of their record yardage with #Rams & #Cowboys."

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Dallas Cowboy's Top 10 Draft Board

Pictured above is Courtney Upshaw (41) Alabama

By: Clayton Shearman  @One_Strike_Away on Twitter

1. CB - Morris Claiborne - LSU - Jr. - 6'0" - 185 lbs

Claiborne leads this year's extremely talented and deep crop of cornerbacks. He has the same or possibly better CB skill set that his former teammate and 1st round draft pick, Patrick Peterson had coming out of LSU. Claiborne doesn't have the speed of Peterson but does have great instincts and could start immediately with any NFL team.

2. CB - Dre Kirkpatrick - Alabama - Jr. - 6'2" - 192 lbs

Kirkpatrick is a more realistic pick for the Cowboys because he may actually last until pick number 14, where Dallas selects in the 1st round. Kirkpatrick led his Alabama secondary to the National Championship game and his team's pass defense ranks number 1 in College Football, allowing only 116 yards per game through the air.

3. Guard - David DeCastro - Stanford - rJr. - 6'5" - 312 lbs

After seeing Kyle Kosier and Montrae Holland under-perform this year, another offensive lineman could be a good selection in the first round. I personally don't think the pick should be used for a guard because of the prospects of David Arkin and/or Derrick Dockery starting. Arkin was injured must of last year but when he played he excelled. DeCastro would make the Cowboys o-line more talented and hopefully successful in the future.

4. OLB/DE - Melvin Ingram - South Carolina - rSr. - 6'2" 276 lbs

Ingram is a very versatile player in the SEC. He is big enough to play opposite of DeMarcus Ware and stop the run but he is also explosive and quick enough to rush the passer with effectiveness. Ingram could replace Anthony Spencer if he isn't resigned and/or could replace Coleman/Hatcher at one of the defensive end positions.

5. OLB - Courtney Upshaw - Alabama - Sr. - 6'2" 265 lbs

Upshaw is a true outside linebacker. He is very fast and can get after the QB or drop back into coverage. The better he plays in the National Championship game, the higher he will be selected in April's NFL Draft.

6. DE - Quinton Coples - North Carolina - Sr. - 6'6" - 285 lbs

Coples shows a good burst off the line of scrimmage but his length and size slow him down when rushing the edge. Coples could make a better fit at LE opposite of Ware because of his strength and run-stopping ability. He is predicted to be drafted in the Top-10 but could fall a few extra spots come April.

7. CB - Alfonzo Dennard - Nebraska - Sr. 5'10" - 205 lbs

Dennard is a shutdown, man on man corner. Dennard is a sneaky prospect. He could be a Jonathan Joseph type corner with the upside of a Champ Bailey type. The 22 year-old missed four games because of a quad injury this past season, the injury may allow Dennard to slip under some teams' radar.

8. Safety - Mark Barron - Alabama - Sr. - 6'2" - 218 lbs

Barron is by far the best Safety in the 2012 draft. He is a Strong Safety that likes to play near the line of scrimmage and help stop the run. Mark could be a replacement for free-agent Abe Elam, but would need to learn to cover more consistently.

9. CB - Janoris Jenkins - N. Alabama - Sr. - 5'10" - 182 lbs

Jenkins has been labeled as a trouble-maker out of college because of some off-field issues, but his talent on the field is undeniable. He is a playmaker that eyes the backfield for suggestions on his next move. But sometimes his aggressiveness to jump routes gets him into trouble. He is a very fast and very physical corner for his size.

10. Guard - Cordy Glenn - Georgia - Sr. - 6'5" - 348 lbs

Very versatile offensive lineman that played almost every OL position for the Bulldogs this pass season. He possesses excellent size and strength. His athletic ability allows him to shuffle and glide to his blocks with ease. Although, he may be a reach at pick 14 come Draft Day.