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Brees sits out Saints scrimmage, Cooks shines

By WTOP Staff

BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) — Drew Brees stood on the sideline throughout the Saints’ first scrimmage of training camp on Saturday, resting a strained abdominal muscle on his left side and likely watching with envy as his backups cashed in on the big-play potential of rookie receiver Brandin Cooks.

“He’s explosive and he’s a guy that, if you can get the ball to him in space, he has a chance to give you some run after the catch — and he did that,” coach Sean Payton said of Cooks, New Orleans’ first-round draft pick.

“You’ve just got to keep working with him on a lot of the nuances and specifics of the passing game, but it was good to see him make a few plays.”

Cooks racked up more than 100 yards receiving on six catches.

His highlights included a twisting, falling catch along the sideline of Ryan Griffin’s deep pass. Cooks beat veteran cornerback Patrick Robinson on the play, which gained about 40 yards to the 1-yard line.

Later, Griffin found Cooks along the sideline, and the receiver stopped suddenly to elude defensive back Rod Sweeting before sprinting nearly 30 yards down the sideline to the end zone. He also had long returns of both a punt and kickoff.

The Saints did not make Cooks available after the scrimmage, but teammates unequivocally praised the rookie’s performance.

“He’s electric,” Saints career receiving leader Marques Colston said. “He can run all the routes and he’s a big-play guy. … He’s a guy that comes to work every day with the right mindset and I think that’s why he’s able to be as productive as he’s been — and I don’t really see a change in that coming.”

Saints defenders agreed.

“Obviously, today we were going against our offense, so I was quite upset, but it’s an amazing thing to watch,” outside linebacker Junior Galette said. “He’s everything that we expected him to be so far.”

“I see that he’s zero to 60 real fast. That’s why we took him with the first-round pick,” inside linebacker David Hawthorne said. “He’s a young guy with a heck of a lot of potential.”

Also scoring touchdowns were tight end Jimmy Graham (on a short pass from Luke McCown), as well as running backs Mark Ingram, Travaris Cadet and rookie Derrick Strozier. Ingram scored on a 5-yard run, while Cadet used a hard cutback to his left to score from roughly 25 yards out. Strozier ran in a sweep from about 10 yards.

New Orleans’ running game, which ranked 25th in the NFL last season, thrived in the scrimmage. Ingram’s day included a long run through the middle.

Right tackle Zach Strief said he can sense the chemistry between the offensive line and ball carriers improving.

“Guys are more comfortable with it,” Strief said. “The more confident you are in what you are in what you’re doing, the faster you’re going to play. And that’s the key to this game, you know, how fast can you make the right decisions. … There were some good creases there.”

A crowd of more than 4,200 fans filled stands and an embankment along the Saints’ picturesque training camp fields at The Greenbrier resort in the Allegheny mountains. Some could be heard expressing disappointment when they realized they would not get to see Brees play.

Brees was disappointed as well, Strief said, but the star quarterback is expected to recover quickly.

“I know it’s really hard for Drew to stand there and not be in pads and not be with his guys,” Strief said, a playful smirk emerging as he continued to speak. “We do a lot of hugging and make sure he’s feeling OK. I’ve rubbed his obliques a few times. I’m sure that’s helped. … The great thing about Drew — you know he’s going be in the training room twice as much as anybody, and he’s going to get himself right.”

Notes: Beside Brees, others sitting out the scrimmage included CB Champ Bailey, S Jairus Byrd, G Ben Grubbs, WR Kenny Stills, NT John Jenkins. While Payton has declined to discuss specific injuries in training camp, he said Bailey should be back soon, adding he doesn’t “think it’s anything serious.” … WR Joe Morgan, trying to make a comeback from a serious knee injury that sidelined him all of last season, saw limited action and made a catch. … Newly acquired S Marcus Ball had an interception of McCown.

___

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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
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