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Bills’ Mike Williams gets permission to seek trade

By WTOP Staff

JONAH BRONSTEIN
Associated Press

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The agent for Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mike Williams has been granted permission to seek a trade, General Manager Doug Whaley said Monday.

Whaley said Williams’ agent, Hadley Englehard, asked to gauge interest from other teams in a possible trade. But Whaley says the Bills aren’t actively pursuing a trade.

“We like Mike Williams, we expect him back and we expect big things from him,” Whaley said. “But like anybody, if he gets me compensation worthy of a No. 1 wide receiver, which he claimed he is, then we would entertain it.”

Williams was not present in the locker room Monday when reporters were allowed access. A message left with Englehard was not immediately returned.

Williams was surprisingly inactive for Sunday’s 37-22 loss to the New England Patriots. Williams started the Bills’ first four games.

Bills coach Doug Marrone said the decision was made to deactivate Mike Williams when the team learned late last week that defensive tackle Kyle Williams would be healthy enough to play after missing the previous game with an ankle injury.

“By that time, we had put so much in game plan-wise for a three tight end package that we practice quite a bit,” Marrone said.

“I brought Mike in on Saturday and I told him I needed him to do this for the team. I said, ‘It’s not a great situation, but it’s due to the special teams and everything that we needed to cover.’ We talked to him and he handled it like a pro and he’ll be ready to go next week.”

The Bills (3-3) acquired Williams in April for a sixth-round draft choice in a trade with Tampa Bay. He has eight catches for 142 yards and a touchdown in five games this season.

Williams, a Buffalo native, said at the time it was “a dream come true” to be traded to his hometown team.

Marrone was the coach at Syracuse when Williams abruptly quit the team in November 2009 during his junior season.

Whaley said there have been no conflicts between Williams and Marrone this season.

“He’s been a great addition to our program,” Whaley said. “Have not had one ounce of problems with him.”

Marrone said he had not had any problems with Williams and the wide receiver had not expressed a desire to him to be traded.

Williams signed a six-year, $40 million contract in 2013. He has a fully guaranteed salary of $5.2 million for 2015.

Buffalo has had other issues this season, losing three of four games and needing to address issues on offense and defense in preparing to host Minnesota (2-4) on Sunday. The team changed quarterbacks two weeks ago and the franchise itself was recently sold to Terry and Kim Pegula.

The running game, a perceived strength coming into the season, has struggled. The Bills have been held under 100 yards rushing in four straight games and have only two rushing TDs this year.

“We’ve got to go back and get this going again,” Marrone said. “You put so much emphasis on the other stuff, you improve and then all the sudden you take something that was your strength – that I believed was our strength – and it does down. And that’s what you can’t have.”

Starting running back C.J. Spiller rushed six times for 19 yards against the Patriots and lost a fumble. Spiller was on the field for just 12 snaps, his lowest since the 2011 season.

“It’s not one individual,” Marrone said. “It’s easy when it’s one individual. You just put one out and put somebody else in. But it’s up front, it’s hitting the holes, it’s believing and rusting the scheme.”

On defense, the Bills now rank No. 1 in the league against the run, allowing 67.5 yards per game. But they allowed Tom Brady to pass for 361 yards, the most allowed by the Bills since Brady threw for 387 on Sept. 25, 2011.

NOTES: The Bills have held opponents under 90 yards rushing in each of the first six games, the longest streak since a six-game stretch from Sept. 22 through Nov. 3, 1996, according to STATS. . The Bills have yet to produce 20 first downs in eight consecutive games dating back to last season. It’s the longest streak since a 10-game stretch spanning the 2009 and 2010 seasons. . LB Ty Powell left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury and S Aaron Williams did not dress due to a neck and wrist injuries. The Bills will monitor their progress throughout the week before providing an update, a team spokesman said.

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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