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You guys know I'm active on Twitter (@ESPN_NFCEast and, to a lesser extent, @DanGrazianoESPN). I'm there to answer whatever questions I can, and at times like these the activity is more intense than it is at other times of the year. So I'm on there in between blog posts to help out. You can ask questions, vent, call me names, whatever. I'm there for you.

Some of the questions I get on there become so frequent that they take on lives of their own and become worthy of their own posts. Such is the case, I feel, with the question of Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Laurent Robinson, who is making free-agent visits to places like Jacksonville and appears unlikely to return to Dallas.

To hear Cowboys fans on this topic, you'd think we were talking about the second coming of Jerry Rice. I mean, Robinson played very well for the Cowboys last year, and only three players in the league caught more touchdown passes, but I refuse to buy into the idea that replacing his production would become a major offseason priority for the Cowboys if and when he signs elsewhere.

Possible options for replacing Robinson include:

1. Throwing the ball to Jason Witten, Miles Austin and Dez Bryant more.

2. Finding a third wide receiver in the bargain bin, which is where they found Robinson last summer when no one else wanted him.

This isn't rocket science. Robinson became Tony Romo's favorite red zone target and ended up with 11 touchdown catches, but that doesn't mean Romo would be crippled in the red zone without him. Witten used to be his favorite red zone target, and there's no reason to think he can't be again. If they can keep Austin healthy and if Bryant (just 23 years old) continues his development, they won't need a No. 3 wide receiver to produce the way Robinson did. Robinson's production was a pleasant surprise, but it's not as though Romo and the Cowboys would have been lost without him.

The Cowboys need help on defense and on the offensive line. They're pretty well-stocked at receiver. Falling in love with Robinson and overpaying him off his first good season would be a free-agent gamble, and given their strengths and their needs, it's one the Cowboys would do well to let some other team make.

IRVING, Texas -- When Jerry Jones mentioned the name of Ray Sherman as a coaching candidate, it drew some surprises outside of Valley Ranch with fans and some media members.

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But inside Valley Ranch and across the league, Sherman, the Cowboys wide receivers coach, is more than a requirement for the Rooney Rule.

Sherman is one of the more respected coaches in the league and has handled Terrell Owens, John Taylor, Jerry Rice, Donald Driver, Randy Moss and Cris Carter among other top-flight receivers. You can also give him some credit for the development of Miles Austin and how he's handled Dez Bryant during his rookie season.

And Sherman is not just a receivers coach.

He was an offensive coordinator for three teams, the New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings. Though each was for one season, he does have the experience of calling plays.

And if Jason Garrett, the interim coach, had left for another job following the 2007 season, Sherman was in line to become the offensive coordinator of the Cowboys.

This is not to say Sherman is going to get the job. We believe Jones will select someone with some head coaching experience, something Sherman doesn't have. But it should be noted Sherman has 23 years of NFL coaching experience.

A few years ago, the St. Louis Rams were interested in interviewing Sherman for their head coaching vacancy that eventually went to Steve Spagnuolo.

Another factor that goes into the Sherman interview is he's in the last year of his deal and the Cowboys could lose him to another team.

Out of respect for Sherman, we don't believe the Cowboys will make him their Rooney Rule candidate. Jones said he plans to interview another minority candidate, and that person could be the designated by the Cowboys as a Rooney Rule candidate.

Back in 2007 before he hired Wade Phillips, Jones interviewed Todd Bowles, Mike Singletary and Jim Caldwell, all minority candidates for the job. Since then, Singletary and Caldwell got head coaching jobs with NFL teams. While Bowles is still looking for his first head coaching job, he's currently the assistant head coach/secondary coach with the Miami Dolphins.

The odds look good that Garrett will get the job full-time, but Jones is determined to interview qualified candidates, enough not only to satisfy the league in regards to the Rooney Rule, but also for himself as well.

CANTON, Ohio – Michael Irvin showed up for the Hall of Fame ceremonies with a cast on his left foot, the result of a symbolic injury he recently suffered.

Irvin tore his Achilles tendon trying to catch Jerry Rice in a celebrity flag football game.

"I’ve been chasing him all my life," Irvin said of the man who rewrote the NFL’s receiving record book. "There’s no way I will or anybody else will ever catch Jerry Rice, so I’m done with it."

Irvin laughed as he recalled the story of his injury, figuring it was sort of a fitting tribute to the first-ballot Hall of Fame receiver.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- We know former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. will introduce wide receiver Jerry Rice in August when he's inducted into the Hall of Fame.

What about Emmitt Smith?

"I have a short list, but I'm not going to give the names out," Smith said. "I think it's a very special moment for the person that I pick. I wanted to treat it with the upmost respect and give it the attention that it deserves and so when that moment comes, that person will know."

The short list for Smith could be this:

1. Jerry Jones
2. Daryl 'Moose' Johnston
3. Pat Smith, Emmitt's wife.
4. Pastor T.D. Jakes
5. Michael Irvin

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Now it's official.

Here's the Hall of Fame Class of 2010: Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice, Russ Grimm, Rickey Jackson, John Randle, Floyd Little and Dick Lebeau.

During the announcement, thanks to TV, we saw Smith and Rice sitting next to each other and giving each other a fist pound and a hug.

We will hear from some of the guys in a moment.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ Ok, Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice will go into the Hall of Fame.

Those two made the final cut, but here is the final five: Smith, Rice, and Russ Grimm, Rickey Jackson and John Randle.

I remember Wade Phillips talking about how he thought Jackson was a Hall of Famer a few months ago.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Former Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals running back, boy that sounds strange, Emmitt Smith is in the building.

He's arrived just a few moments after Jerry Rice got here to hear the hall of fame annoucement for the Class 2010. Roger Craig, another finalist, has also arrived.

Craig, a former San Francisco 49ers great, would love to get in with his teammate in Rice.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- We know running back Emmitt Smith is headed to the Hall of Fame, Jerry Rice too.

What about Charles Haley?

The former Cowboys pass rusher is a finalist for the first time and on Saturday Nancy Gay of AOL Fanhouse will make a case for him.

Haley has five Super Bowl rings, the most by any man in league history, he compiled 100.5 sacks in 169 games and was a five-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All Pro.

It would seem former Chicago Bears end Richard Dent, 137.5 sacks in 203 career games along with a four Pro Bowls and twice named a All Pro, might knock Haley out.

However, Haley was a nasty man when he played. He treated teammates and members of the media badly. Since his retirement, Haley has become more friendly, he even talked to a few reporters near the end of the regular season.

"I think he should get in, one of the first guys to get five Super Bowl rings, it's hard to do," said former teammate, Leon Lett. "He was a great teammate, he had some issues, everybody does and he's corrected those."
Former teammate Daryl 'Moose' Johnston said Haley reached out to him to get a phone number for tight end Jay Novacek, who's wife died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

"He was a great teammate, there were a lot of stories about Charles coming out of San Francisco and when he came to our team a lot of us were kinda nervous about what to expect from Charles," Johnston said. "We're still friends to this day. He's a good guy."

This about the fourth time Haley has been eligible for the hall but the first time he's reached the finalist stage. The issue as we said before is Dent and how he treated people.

"I think he's waited long enough," Lett said. "It's been a while now, somebody from that defense deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. For three years we were the No. 1 defense and Charles was part of that anchor."

Terrell Owens believes he coulda been the greatest ... if only he had better quarterbacks.

Never mind that T.O.'s starting QBs were all multi-Pro Bowlers, at least until he was banished to Buffalo after he couldn't get along with his (sniff) quarterback in Dallas.

"I know hands-down I'd be close to Jerry Rice's records if I had been with quality quarterbacks like he had," T.O. told USA Today. "He had Joe Montana and he finished with Steve Young. That wasn't a dropoff.

"Say I had been with a guy like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or Drew Brees all of my career. Are you kidding me?"

T.O., who is 7,944 yards and 53 touchdowns behind Rice on the all-time receiving lists, made these comments as his previous two quarterbacks were preparing to play in the Pro Bowl along with their No. 1 receivers.

Tony Romo missed T.O. so much that he set a franchise record for passing yards this season.

It shouldn't come as a surprise but former Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith along with wide receivers Tim Brown and Jerry Rice are among the 17 finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame it was announced today.

Smith, Brown and Rice are first-year eligible players. The selection committee will meet in South Florida on Feb. 6 to announce the 2010 class for the Hall of Fame.

Among the 15 modern-era finalists is former Cowboys rush end Charles Haley. Some voters we've talked too don't believe in Haley's chances because of how he treated his teammates and media members.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee released the 25 semifinalists for the Class of 2010 on Saturday.

One Cowboys legend appears to be a lock, running back Emmitt Smith, the all-time leading rusher. Check that, he is a lock. Another person who is almost guaranteed entry is former 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice, the all-time leader in receiving touchdowns, catches and yards.

But there is another former 49ers and Cowboys player on the list that has a shot, and that's defensive end Charles Haley, the only man in NFL history with five Super Bowl rings.

The list will be reduced to 15 in January and the final vote will be in February.

The big question is will Haley make it?

"He's a legitimate candidate," said Dave Goldberg, a Hall of Fame voter, a long-time NFL writer who retired from Associated Press and now works for AOL Fanhouse. "The reason he hasn't been up before was he was a bad guy, not a good teammate. I'd like to see him get debated, he won't make it this year."

Goldberg said he would vote for Haley if he gets to the final 15.

Just exchanged text messages with Houston Chronicle NFL/Houston Texans' beat writer John McClain and this is what he had to say regarding Haley: "I'm voting for [Richard] Dent before Haley. I don't think both will get in the same year. I think Dent is long overdue. I don't think two defensive ends will get in the same year 'cause I think so many skill position players will make it."