Skip to main content

Kelly has tough decisions on final 53-man roster

By WTOP Staff

ROB MAADDI
AP Pro Football Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Chip Kelly has enjoyed the transition to the NFL except for one thing: cutting players.

Telling a guy he didn’t make the Philadelphia Eagles is the part of Kelly’s job that he dislikes the most, even more than talking to reporters. Kelly has tough decisions to make before Saturday’s roster deadline.

“It’s difficult. You really don’t have to do it in college,” Kelly said. “You can carry 105 guys on your team. When people walk on, you don’t have to make cuts. You make decisions of who is going to play in the game.

“But it’s everybody’s goal to play in this league. If you don’t make our team, we hope you make another team. Sometimes you sit there and you see some guys and it’s difficult.”

Kelly makes it a point to speak to each player he releases. Guys handle the disappointment in different ways. A conversation with former Army ranger Alejandro Villanueva when he cut the defensive lineman last week had a lasting impression on Kelly.

“I wish I could buy stock in people,” Kelly said. “Alejandro Villanueva, I’d buy stock in him as a human being. He’s going to be successful. He told me when I talked about the reasons we were cutting him loose. He said, ‘Coach, successful people have to make difficult decisions. You don’t have to explain anything to me.'”

The toughest decision the Eagles have to make involves their kicker. Rookie Cody Parkey was impressive in a 37-7 win over the Jets on Thursday night, nailing kicks from 54, 53 and 25 yards.

Alex Henery, the incumbent since 2011, was 1 of 3 in the preseason after a poor performance in a 26-24 playoff loss to New Orleans. Henery had a costly miss from 48 yards against the Saints and his short, line-drive kickoff set up New Orleans’ game-winning drive.

Kelly wouldn’t even rule out signing a new kicker before the season opener against Jacksonville on Sept. 7.

“We’ll see how it all plays out in the next day or so and what happens on other teams,” he said. “You have to keep an eye on what’s going on. We’re going to analyze it and ultimately make the best decision for this team. We’re going to gather all the information before we do it.”

The Eagles have a crowded backfield behind All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy and veteran Darren Sproles. Chris Polk, expected to be the primary backup to McCoy, has been injured.

Matthew Tucker and rookie free agent Henry Josey had impressive preseasons. Former Oregon tailback Kenjon Barner also has a shot to make it. Tucker and Barner both left Thursday night’s game with injuries, giving Josey a chance to run for 121 yards.

“I thought Henry made a good statement in the games he had a chance to get in there,” Kelly said. “He made plays.”

There’s also strong competition for a spot at wide receiver, if the Eagles carry six. Jeremy Maclin, Riley Cooper, Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff are locks. Kelly indicated Brad Smith will make it when he said the veteran will be ready to go Monday.

That leaves Damaris Johnson, Arrelious Benn, Ifeanyi Momah, Will Murphy, Quron Pratt and Jeff Maehl. Johnson had a 46-yard touchdown run against the Jets. Benn caught a 43-yard TD pass.

“The one thing with all those guys, there were a lot of guys that really made plays (against New York),” Kelly said. “They made some decisions that we’re going to have to make (more) difficult.”

The Eagles hope they can keep some of the guys they cut around on the practice squad, but they would have to clear waivers first. Several players showed enough in the preseason to get picked up by other teams, so it’ll be a wait-and-see weekend for Kelly and the coaching staff.

“It’s tough to make any decision when you’re cutting anybody,” Kelly said. “They’re still human beings on that side of the ball. Saturday’s not a good day. You have 22 guys that are not going to make the team.”

___

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

___

Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_RobMaaddi

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