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Patriots O-Line fills vacancy left by Mankins

By WTOP Staff

HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Logan Mankins is with Tampa Bay and there’s a question mark at the left guard position he held for nine years with New England.

Josh Kline is listed as the starter for the Patriots after limited playing time as a rookie last season. But coach Bill Belichick hasn’t said who will take over for Mankins, a six-time Pro Bowl player, in Sunday’s opener against the Miami Dolphins.

His former teammates are resigned to moving on without the tough leader of the offensive line.

“We’re good friends,” said right guard Dan Connolly, who filled the captain’s position vacated when Mankins was traded to the Buccaneers last week. “We all know that this job is not forever, so him leaving was sad. But I’ve moved on and we’ve got our team here and we’re preparing for our opponent this week.”

Center Ryan Wendell, left tackle Nate Solder and right tackle Sebastian Vollmer also return as starters, and backup linemen Jordan Devey, Bryan Stork and Marcus Cannon provide decent depth. So trading Mankins for Tim Wright, a pass-catching tight end the Patriots needed, and a fourth-round draft pick next year is a reasonable risk.

Tom Brady knows which players he’ll be throwing to. Now he’s waiting to see who will protect him.

“All those guys are working hard to find a spot, find a role,” he said. “When the coaches make those decisions, then that means the players have to adapt. That’s kind of the way it is and has always been here.

“However it sorts itself out, all the guys are going to be prepared to play. You could expect a certain thing to go a certain way, and then you get out there for the first play of the game and someone gets injured, and then bam, you’re trying to make adjustments on the fly. We’ve got to be prepared for everything, and I think there are always contingency plans for everybody in the lineup.”

The offensive line had a mediocre season last year. Brady was sacked 40 times, one less than his career high of 41 in his first season as a starter in 2001. The 256 yards lost by sacks was the most of his career.

And now the Patriots must replace Mankins.

“We all, each, individually, need to do our job and we know our opponent that’s in front of us,” Connolly said.

He’s been a starter the past four seasons, primarily at right guard. He also started at left guard and center when regulars at those spots were injured.

“Dan has had a real good year,” Belichick said. “He’s had a real good spring, good training camp, been out there every day. He’s been a versatile guy, as he always has. He’s always been ready to play all three spots plus contribute in the kicking game. He’s a sharp guy, works hard and had a good offseason.”

The Dolphins went through a much bigger shake-up on the offensive line with five new starters for Sunday’s game.

“Every team in the league has new players on their roster. I don’t think we should pretend that that’s anything unique to anybody,” Belichick said. “Those (Miami) guys all have experience and now they’ve been working together all through training camp and in the spring so I’m sure they’ll be ready to go.”

Patriots running back Stevan Ridley isn’t worrying about his offensive line without Mankins clearing the way.

“I love Logan to death, but Logan’s not with us anymore,” Ridley said. “We’re going to have our offensive line up there. Regardless of who’s up there we’ve got to go up there and make plays.

“Whatever we have out there, that’s what we’re rolling with and that’s what we’re 100 percent confident in, so we’re going to be fine.”

NOTES: The Patriots re-signed long snapper Danny Aiken, who was released last Saturday, and linebacker Chris White, who was cut on Sunday. Aiken is entering his fourth season as the team’s long snapper. They also re-signed quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson to the practice squad one day after releasing him from that group. Bethel-Thompson was signed by San Francisco as a rookie free agent in July 2011 and moved on to Miami and Minnesota before rejoining the 49ers last year.

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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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