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Saints aiming for 5th playoff season since ’09

By WTOP Staff

BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Saints cornerback Champ Bailey has played for more than a handful of playoff teams during a career that has seen him selected to 12 Pro Bowls.

In his first preseason with New Orleans, Bailey senses enough talent around him to compete for what would be his first Super Bowl title. They key, Bailey said, is not taking that talent for granted.

“We’ve got some pieces here to win it. We’ve just got to make sure we don’t worry about too far ahead, just worry about what’s in front of us,” Bailey said. “We’ve just got to make sure we don’t get too big-headed and keep grinding.”

It has been a while since the Saints missed the playoffs with coach Sean Payton roaming the sideline — since the 2008 season, in fact. New Orleans has been to the post-season in four of the past five years, the lone exception being 2012, when Payton served his one-season bounty ban.

Last season, the Saints went unbeaten in the Superdome, won 11 regular-season games and got the first road postseason victory in franchise history at Philadelphia. The season ended at eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle in the divisional round.

New Orleans has made a few key roster moves aimed at bolstering the secondary and improving an already prolific passing game. The Saints aggressively pursued — and signed — free-agent safety Jairus Byrd, who had 22 interceptions in his first five pro seasons in Buffalo and has made three Pro Bowls. On offense, New Orleans traded up seven spots to draft Oregon State receiver Brandin Cooks, regarded by his new teammates as the fastest player on the squad.

Meanwhile, most of the key contributors from last year’s squad are back, with several looking highly motivated as they approach the end of their contracts.

“We know what we look like on paper. We look pretty good,” said quarterback Drew Brees, who has thrown for more than 5,000 yards and at least 39 touchdowns in each of the last three seasons. “Now we have to go out and put it all together. We have to put together the team we know we can.”

Here are some things to watch for with the Saints in 2014:

BYRD’S BACK: Shortly after the Saints signed Byrd to a six-year, $54 million deal, the star safety had elective back surgery. That forced him to miss all of the Saints’ on-field work in the offseason and the first two games of the preseason. He was finally cleared for full contact in time for the third preseason game.

His knack for being around the ball has stood out in practice since his return, including his difficult, one-handed interception of Brees, which the quarterback called “a ridiculous play.” Bailey said he has long wanted to play with a safety like Byrd. “You know he’s going to be wherever the ball is,” Bailey said. “It’s good to have that safety net.”

QUICK COOKS: The Saints say Cooks is not only blazing fast but has been a quick study, meaning he has a chance to grab a significant role in Payton’s pass-happy offense. The hope is that his speed will provide more space for All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham and Saints all-time leading receiver Marques Colston. “His role and each week, how it unfolds, is to be determined, but I think he learns well,” Payton said. “He’s picked things up fairly quickly.” He has stood out in training camp practice with his long receptions in 11-on-11 drills. He also scored a 25-yard TD in his first preseason game.

RUNNING ROTATION: Between late last season and this preseason, Mark Ingram has strung together a number of strong performances. Entering the final year of his contract, he aims to prove his improvement as a rusher, pass blocker and pass catcher make him a bona fide every-down back. The Saints are also eager to see if Khiry Robinson can build on some encouraging runs he had as a rookie. Meanwhile, versatile veteran Pierre Thomas promises to push Ingram and Robinson for playing time. “They are going to have to outwork me. They are going to have to put me on the bench, and that’s going to be hard to do,” Thomas said.

DEFENSIVE FRONT: End Cam Jordan and outside linebacker Junior Galette combined for 24 1/2 sacks and return to a defensive line that has all key players back. On the interior is massive and powerful Akiem Hicks, who had 4 1/2 sacks and 56 total tackles last season while constantly being double-teamed.

RYAN’S REPRISE: In his first season as defensive coordinator, Rob Ryan took a unit that ranked last in 2012 and made it the league’s fourth best in yards allowed. Most of his best players from last season are back and still young. The addition of Byrd offers hope of producing more turnovers, which Ryan’s unit lacked last season.

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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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