Skip to main content

Chiefs turn attention to roster, regular season

By WTOP Staff

DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — After four preseason clunkers, the Kansas City Chiefs know things are about to get real.

General manager John Dorsey and coach Andy Reid were planning to meet Friday to discuss final roster cuts, which are due Saturday afternoon. Then, they get a chance to sign waived players on Sunday before starting preparations for their regular-season opener against Tennessee.

Dorsey and Reid have several difficult decisions to make.

They are enamored of all four quarterbacks on their roster, though Reid can’t recall ever keeping that many in Philadelphia. With suspensions and injuries at wide receiver, they could be keeping some around simply out of necessity. And with question marks along the offensive line and in the defensive backfield, they could be forced to scour the waiver wire.

“I really haven’t had time to meet with Dorse this morning,” said Reid, who instead spent Friday morning watching film of Thursday night’s preseason loss in Green Bay. “We haven’t made any roster cuts or anything. The kids are coming in now to see the trainer, the ones that were banged up a little bit. Later in the day I’ll get with the coaches and Dorse and we’ll go over things.”

They might just start with their quarterbacks, where questions abound after starter Alex Smith. Chase Daniel is a reliable veteran, but he carries a large salary cap number. Tyler Bray and rookie Aaron Murray have both shown talent but are considered developmental players.

The Chiefs would love to get Bray or Murray through to the practice squad, but that would mean risking another team claiming one of them off waivers.

“I think the four of these kids, they’re good players,” Reid said. “I don’t think we saw the best of them last night. We didn’t play the highest we can play at that position. But I think all four of them have talent.”

Smith got the night off in Green Bay, and Daniel was 4 of 7 for 34 yards in just a handful of plays. Bray wound up 8 of 15 for 116 yards with a touchdown and an interception while getting the majority of the action, and Murray was just 5 of 10 for 39 yards.

Perhaps they would have fared better with more weapons at wide receiver.

Dwayne Bowe is suspended for the season opener following his arrest last November, and Junior Hemingway has been dealing with a hip injury. A.J. Jenkins sustained a concussion during the game against the Packers, and Kyle Williams had to leave with a shoulder injury.

“We still have a lot of wide receivers, a lot great receivers that are going to go out there and make plays,” said De’Anthony Thomas, a rookie who played just as much running back as wide receiver during his college career at Oregon.

The Chiefs could be forced to turn to Frankie Hammond, who spent last season on the practice squad, and Albert Wilson, an undrafted free agent, just to have enough bodies for their opener.

“As a team, there’s a lot of room to improve,” Hammond said. “Just trying to get better.”

On the offensive line, right tackle Donald Stephenson is suspended for the first four games of the regular season for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy. Left tackle Eric Fisher has also been dealing with an illness that kept him out of practice last week.

The Chiefs tried to add some depth this week by signing veteran guard Mike McGlynn, who spent time with Reid in Philadelphia, but they could still be shuffling spots early this week.

There are similar concerns in the secondary, where safety Eric Berry is expected to be ready for the Titans despite missing much of training camp with a lingering heel injury.

“It’s good to get the preseason over. Let’s get on with the regular season,” Reid said. “I’m not much on predictions. We’re going to work hard and take it one play at a time and crank. We look forward to getting the season started.”

___

Online:

AP NFL websites: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://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