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Broncos built to weather absence like Wes Welker’s

By WTOP Staff

ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Pro Football Writer

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Wes Welker’s suspension didn’t exactly send the Denver Broncos into a scramble. Their adaptable offense is built to weather such setbacks.

Sure, they were miffed at the timing of the NFL’s punishment, five days before their opener against Indianapolis. And Peyton Manning acknowledged it won’t be easy to replace the game’s pre-eminent slot receiver over a brutal first month, especially on third downs.

They’ve been preparing for this eventuality, however.

With Welker’s history of head injuries — he had two last season — they’d have been remiss not to have other solutions available in the slot.

Welker sustained his third concussion in 10 months on Aug. 23. He returned to practice this week. But 24 hours later, the league banned him from the Broncos’ facilities for a month for violating the NFL’s performance enhancing drug policy.

Receivers are interchangeable in offensive coordinator Adam Gase’s scheme.

“The thing is, even when Wes was here, we were all playing everywhere,” Emmanuel Sanders said. “The outside guys were playing the inside. The inside guys were playing the outside. This isn’t one of those systems where you have an outside receiver and you have an inside receiver. Everyone is moving around.

“And I’ve told you guys before, this is one of the toughest offenses I’ve been a part of and why is that? Because you have to know every single position on the field, because you never know where Adam Gase is going to stick you.”

Even star receiver Demaryius Thomas and tight end Jacob Tamme, both of whom are 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, can run routes over the middle in place of Welker, who’s 5-9.

It’s all about being on the same wavelength as Manning and making the right decisions to get open while getting jostled by defenders.

“It’s kind of the way that we’ve developed our system. One of the ways I describe it is that X, Y, Z, F, it’s irrelevant,” Gase said of the NFL’s nomenclature for the different receiver positions. “I can put blank circles here, and we should understand who should do what just by our play calls.

“So, that’s why (Welker’s suspension) wasn’t really a big shell shock for anyone in that room.”

With flexibility at such a premium in Denver, GM John Elway made the versatile Sanders his top target in free agency and signed him to a three-year, $15 million deal in March.

Sanders missed much of camp with a strained thigh but put on a show against Houston with five catches for 128 yards and TDs covering 67 and 29 yards.

Sanders said he’s “really comfortable in the slot,” where he played almost exclusively his first three years in the league before moving outside almost full-time his final year in Pittsburgh last season.

About the only receiver who’s not comfortable inside yet is second-round draft pick Cody Latimer, who nonetheless figures to get plenty of snaps on the outside with Welker out.

So does Bubba Caldwell, who stepped in during Welker’s absence last season and caught two TD passes against San Diego in a December game.

Welker caught 73 passes for 778 yards and a career-high 10 TDs last year despite missing the final month of the season. He caught 18 passes for 160 yards and a TD in the playoffs.

Welker practiced Monday for the first time since his latest head injury, a result of Houston safety D.J. Swearinger’s hit Aug. 23. And he was expected to be available for their opener before he was suspended.

It’s not like the Broncos had to crumple their game plan and start from scratch, though.

“Every receiver, every tight end knows what’s going on at every position, so you can always put somebody in a different spot,” Thomas said. “I’m not going to say everybody can do it like Wes. But everybody knows what to do. So, as long as you got people in that know what to do, I feel like Peyton will be comfortable with that.”

Notes: Tamme restructured his contract. He was due to make $3 million this season. He’ll make $1.25 million with a chance to double that through incentives. … Denver’s defenders watched a film on the old “Orange Crush” defense this week. “It definitely got us pumped up,” safety T.J. Ward said. … The Broncos are launching a 500-bike valet at their stadium this season in hopes of reducing game-day traffic congestion.

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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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