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Broncos find cuts are harder to make this year

By WTOP Staff

ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Pro Football Writer

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — It’s a good bet that some of the players who’ll be asked to turn in their playbooks in Denver will be scooped up by other teams this weekend.

The roles were reversed not long ago and the Broncos were the ones scouring the waiver wire to plug holes in their roster.

Then, GM John Elway lured Peyton Manning to Denver in 2012, and together they’ve helped attract several other notable free agents. This year’s class includes DeMarcus Ware, T.J. Ward, Aqib Talib, Marvin Austin and Emmanuel Sanders.

The AFC champs have reached that enviable point in which scores of scouts attend their preseason games to scope out players on the Broncos’ bubble.

When the Broncos convened for the start of offseason work following their Super Bowl debacle, coach John Fox called this his deepest roster yet.

“I still feel that,” Fox said after the Broncos capped an impressive preseason with a 27-3 win at Dallas on Thursday night. “Obviously, there are some very hard decisions we have to make over the next 48 hours. That’s never the fun part of this job, but we will do our very best to take the best 53.”

Rosters have to be trimmed to 53 active players by Saturday afternoon, and lots of eyes are on Denver.

With practice squads expanding from eight to 10, the Broncos are hoping that many of the players they cut will be back next week, but they also know they’ll probably lose some of them.

“We have some young guys that I think are quality players,” Fox said. “As I’ve told them all along things may not work out here but you put your resume on tape and it may work out somewhere else.”

Here’s a look at some players who might find themselves in another uniform soon:

KAPRI BIBBS: The Broncos figure to keep four running backs, including Duke’s Juwan Thompson, who led the team with 143 yards rushing in the preseason. That would make Bibbs, another undrafted college free agent, available. He led the nation with 31 touchdowns last year at Colorado State and then led the Broncos with three TD runs this month.

Bibbs said his goal was to “leave it all on the line, make the decisions for the coaches even harder and make other NFL coaches take a look at you as well.”

ISAIAH BURSE: He finally showed some flash against Dallas with 151 all-purpose yards. If Denver doesn’t bring in another burner, Bubba Caldwell and Omar Bolden will return kicks and Wes Welker could return punts. (Welker ran routes for Manning before the Dallas game, a sign that his latest concussion wasn’t as serious as the two he had last year).

“If I end up not in Denver, I won’t be heartbroken,” Burse said, “because I played my heart out tonight.”

SHAQUIL BARRETT: The former Colorado State star had two sacks at Dallas. But he’ll be hard-pressed to crack a seven-deep linebacker corps. He’d have to beat out Steven Johnson, who was one of the game captains against the Cowboys and had two preseason interceptions.

BENNIE FOWLER: The undrafted rookie wide receiver from Michigan State has prototypical size — 6-1, 213 pounds — but the Broncos are set at his position with Demaryius Thomas, Sanders, Welker, Caldwell and second-round pick Cody Latimer.

ZAC DYSERT: He made the 53-man roster last season as the third QB but it looks like the Broncos don’t have that luxury this year. So, it’ll likely just be Manning and his protege, Brock Osweiler, who had a stellar preseason.

TONY CARTER: The sixth-year cornerback had two interceptions in the preseason. But the Broncos are stacked in the secondary and Carter could be the odd-man out if the Broncos keep 10 DBs. His ball-hawking skills might have forced them to make room for an 11th, however.

KEVIN VICKERSON: The nine-year veteran was slow to recover from a dislocated hip and Mitch Unrein is a younger, healthier, cheaper option. Still, Vickerson put on a show in the preseason finale, continually clogging the lanes and tying for the team lead with five tackles.

“Just trying to play hard, show them I’ve still got it, show them I can still play this game,” Vickerson said.

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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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