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Finding Holliday’s replacement proves difficult

By WTOP Staff

ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Pro Football Writer

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — For the past two years, one of the biggest questions facing the Denver Broncos was whether Trindon Holliday was going to return a kick to the end zone or turn it over.

The Broncos got tired of watching him fumble and so in the offseason they parted ways with the fleet-footed return man who was equal parts electric and enigmatic with six TD returns and nine fumbles during his time in Denver.

While a hamstring injury has sidelined Holliday with his new team, the New York Giants, the Broncos wrapped up training camp still looking for his replacement on kick and punt returns.

It’s the only real mystery on the AFC champs’ reloaded roster.

Their fallback plan is Wes Welker on punts and Emmanuel Sanders on kickoffs, although neither option is preferable given Welker’s concussion history and Sanders’ role as a starter with big plans in Peyton Manning’s offense.

“If a guy can emerge as a dominant return specialist, he’s going to have a pretty good opportunity to be on a roster,” special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers said.

“And if nobody emerges who’s special, if Devin Hester doesn’t emerge out of that group, then it’s probably going to be the guy who does the best job in a combination, whether it’s corner and punt return or wide receiver and punt return.”

It’s not like last summer when Holliday made the roster strictly as a specialist. This time, the punt and kick returners will almost certainly have to make the team in another capacity.

And that man may not even be on the Broncos’ 90-man roster right now.

“If it’s kind of a tie one way or the other at punt returner, it’s going to be who’s emerged as a wide receiver. If it’s a kind of a tie as a wide receiver, it’s going to be who’s emerged as a punt returner as it relates to not only the wide receiver position but the corner position and well as the 3,000 guys that are on NFL rosters right now,” Rodgers said.

“I know our personnel department’s always looking for different guys whether it’s in the building or outside the building.”

The Broncos were excited about Isaiah Burse, an undrafted free agent burner from Fresno State. He’s getting a long look, but he’s bobbled way too many balls without defenses even coming down on him.

Somewhat surprisingly, veteran wide receiver Jordan Norwood, who didn’t play a down last season, has emerged as the steadiest punt returner so far.

Bubba Caldwell and Omar Bolden will get the chance to win the kick returner jobs during the rest of the preseason, beginning with Sunday’s game at San Francisco.

Others giving it a shot are rookies Bradley Roby and Cody Latimer, whom are both learning on the job, and running back Ronnie Hillman.

Burse had a 31-yard kickoff return against Seattle in the preseason opener, but also a minus-3 yard return just before halftime on a kickoff that traveled only to the Denver 14.

Norwood had a 20-yard punt return against the Seahawks.

“Certainly there’s more pressure on players and teams when you’re out in front of the masses with 70,000 fans and national TV and all those things,” Rodgers said.

“I’ll say this, there’s more guys that can do it in practice than can do it in a game. All that’s a part of the evaluation. To say it weighs more, probably a little bit more, but I don’t think you can discount what happens in practice.”

Latimer asked Rodgers for a shot in the offseason, but at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, he’s a big, inviting target much like Demaryius Thomas was when former coach Josh McDaniels tried to turn the big receiver into a returner with near-disastrous results.

Rodgers has to find not only the starting returners, but their backups so he doesn’t get caught short-handed on game day.

“Having two vet guys in Emmanuel and Wes who have done it in games can answer some of those things,” Rodgers said. “So, we’re just looking for that next guy to emerge and maybe take that load off of them on a consistent basis.”

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

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Follow AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton

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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