Skip to main content

Busy in free agency, Giants still have holes

By WTOP Staff

BARRY WILNER
AP Pro Football Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — No team was busier than the New York Giants in free agency. Still, they’re not fooling themselves into believing their offseason work is close to finished.

The Giants have signed 16 veterans already, addressing problems on both lines and in the secondary after they went 7-9 last season. General manager Jerry Reese says that only means some needs have been taken care of.

Those also are areas the Giants could hit in this week’s draft.

“The draft stands alone. What we did in free agency really doesn’t affect what we do in the draft,” Reese said.

Fortunately for New York, which picks 12th, this draft is so deep that whomever Reese grabs should be a potential starter from Day 1. Speculation has centered on North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron, Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald, and Notre Dame offensive tackle Zack Martin.

Here’s a look at where the Giants might go in the draft:

THE TIGHT END: Ebron, in particular, makes sense because the Giants need a tight end with big-play skill over the middle in their offense. Eli Manning is most comfortable and effective when he has such a threat.

“Everybody needs a playmaking tight end,” Reese said. “I think in all offenses you want a playmaker at every position if you can. I think every team wants a Pro Bowl-style tight end, they want a couple of Pro Bowl wide receivers, they want a Pro Bowl running back. Sure, you’d like a big, strapping tight end.”

Ebron is 6-foot-4, 250 pounds and comes off a strong junior season (62 catches, 973 yards) in which he broke an ACC record for yards for the position held by Vernon Davis, now a star with the 49ers. He has excellent hands and can get deep. His blocking is, well, a work in progress.

VERSATILE DEFENDER: Donald swept nearly all the postseason awards he was eligible for last year. The Giants lost Linval Joseph at defensive tackle, and Donald is a more versatile player than Joseph was.

But Reese believes the Giants have some options at the position already on the roster.

“We have guys who need to step up. We brought in some defensive linemen in free agency, we have some guys from last year,” he said. “(Cullen) Jenkins, we have (Johnathan) Hankins from last year, we have (Markus) Kuhn coming back from the knee injury, so we have some defensive linemen.”

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LINE: They also added plenty of guys on the other side of the trenches in free agents, including projected starting center J.D. Walton, John Jerry, Geoff Schwartz and Charles Brown. The imposing Martin, though, wouldn’t be a bad addition.

Martin goes 6-4, 308 and started 39 games for the Fighting Irish. He was a team captain, consistent and dependable, and probably could play guard in the NFL, too.

“I just see him as a good offensive lineman,” Reese said. “I think he has some flexibility to play both but I just see him as a good offensive lineman.”

DEEP THREATS: With Hakeem Nicks gone, the Giants hope Rueben Randle, entering his third season, can replace the long-ball skills Nicks brought to the team. New York brought back 2012 Super Bowl hero Mario Manningham after he had two injury-plagued seasons in San Francisco, but with this being a, well, deep crop of receivers, the Giants should be able to find one in later rounds.

SECONDARY THOUGHTS: Although they loaded up on defensive backs in free agency and have former starting safety Stevie Brown returning from injury, the Giants could turn to the secondary should a high-quality prospect be on the board.

“You would like to think that the 12th pick would be a player that can come in and contribute right away, but you have to earn your positions here,” Reese said. “We don’t give guys positions.”

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote