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Jaguars shuffling O-line, sticking with QB Henne

By WTOP Staff

MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars are making changes — just not the one many outsiders want.

Coach Gus Bradley said Wednesday that rookie Luke Bowanko will start at center against Indianapolis and veteran Sam Young will start at right tackle. Chad Henne, however, remains the starting quarterback ahead of rookie Blake Bortles.

Bowanko replaces journeyman Jacques McClendon, who beat out Bowanko and Mike Brewster for the job in the preseason. Young replaces Cam Bradfield, who was waived Tuesday after starting the first two games this season and 23 games the previous two years.

“If a guy’s not playing very well and it’s been a consistent pattern, we owe it to the team to make changes,” Bradley said.

It got everyone’s attention in the locker room.

“It really reiterates the fact that this is a high-performance business, and if you don’t perform at your highest level or you don’t live up to the standards that we set, you’re not going to be part of this group,” linebacker Paul Posluszny said.

Bradley made the moves after one of the worst offensive performances in team history.

Jacksonville allowed a franchise-record 10 sacks and managed just 148 yards — including a 63-yard, busted-coverage touchdown pass from Henne to tight end Marcedes Lewis — in a 41-10 loss at Washington on Sunday.

Coaches credited six of the sacks to linemen getting beat in one-on-one situations. Of the other four sacks, one was on Henne for holding the ball too long, one was on a missed block by a running back and two were on receivers running wrong routes.

The sacks and the offensive ineptitude stirred debate about whether the team should turn to Bortles, the third overall selection in May’s NFL draft.

“I don’t think we’re worried about necessarily setting (Bortles) up for failure,” offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch said. “I think we’re just worried about making sure that we don’t blame Chad for something that maybe Chad wasn’t responsible for.”

Henne completed 14 of 28 passes for 193 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. He also scrambled three times for a team-high 17 yards.

The Jaguars (0-2) have said since selecting Bortles that they don’t want to throw him into the huddle before he’s ready.

They also would prefer having things more settled around him.

They haven’t had receiver Cecil Shorts III (hamstring) and right tackle Austin Pasztor (hand) for the first two games, and now they’re without tight end Marcedes Lewis (ankle) for at least the next two months.

So they have played with three rookie receivers — Marqise Lee, Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson — and one of the least experienced offensive lines in the league. Left tackle Luke Joeckel has seven career starts, and rookie right guard Brandon Linder has two. Bowanko will make his first start against the Colts, while Young will make his fifth in five seasons.

And with Lewis out, rookie tight end Marcel Jensen is expected to play significantly.

“We understand we’re young,” said Fisch, who acknowledged that all the new faces have prompted some offensive tweaks. “We have to understand that we don’t have much to pull from in terms of experience. We can’t say, ‘Remember last year when this happened?’ … I don’t know if it’s scaled back as much as it’s kind of adapting to the personnel that we have right now.”

One more personnel change is coming, too. It’s not a matter of if, but when, regarding Bortles.

“I understand this,” Henne said. “If you start winning, you stay in it. If you keep losing and the offense isn’t going where it is supposed to be going, I understand there is going to be a switch being made. I’m fully aware of that, and my job is to just get everybody on the same page and try to exploit this offense and make some plays out there and score some points.”

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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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