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Chris Cooley thinks Washington will struggle to trade Dwayne Haskins

By Ethan Cadeaux

Cooley thinks Washington will struggle to trade Dwayne Haskins originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

The Washington Football Team hoped Dwayne Haskins would be the future face of the franchise when they drafted him 15th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.

A year and a half later, Haskins has been benched, relegated to third-string, and reportedly on the trade market. All signs point towards the end of the Haskins era in the nation’s capital.

The Burgundy and Gold invested a first-round pick in Haskins, but former Washington tight end Chris Cooley doesn’t think they’ll be able to net anything close to that in return for the quarterback, should they choose to trade him.

“You’re not getting a second. I doubt you’re getting a third,” Cooley said on the Kevin Sheehan Show on Monday. “I doubt you’re getting a conditional third. I think you start to entertain what comes up in the fourth.”

Cooley thinks Haskins’ inability to succeed under two separate head coaches — two bosses with completely different personalities — will ultimately keep opposing teams from pulling the trigger on trading for the quarterback.

“When you have two staffs — by the way, two completely different mentalities between the two staffs — Jay Gruden is one mentality and Ron Rivera is an entirely different personality,” Cooley said. “When you have two staffs, you have every GM and head coach that would be involved in this trade around the league talking to these guys and saying ‘What the hell happened here?'”

The tight end made it clear that the NFL circle is small. Teams will do their research, and those even slightly interested in Haskins will make a phone call to Gruden and ask about his former quarterback.

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It’s well documented Gruden did not want Washington to take Haskins in the draft, so it’s almost certain the former Washington head coach will have little positive things to say about the 23-year-old.

“No one is going to endorse him,” Cooley said.

Since Haskins was officially benched last Wednesday, multiple reports have surfaced as to why. Rivera cited the team’s poor division and importance of Washington’s next few games as to why he made the move to Kyle Allen — a QB who knows the offensive system better than Haskins — but few believe that’s the entire story.

Haskins was allegedly hyping-up his 300-yard outing against the Ravens despite the team losing, something that didn’t resonate well in the locker room. Others suspected he had poor practice and study habits. One report even suggested Haskins was only given the starting nod to begin the season because he was owner Dan Snyder’s favorite.

“If you think they’re going to submarine him to the media, they’re going to submarine him everywhere,” Cooley said on the leaks about Haskins from inside the building.

It only takes one other team to be interested in a trade for it to work, however. Of course, Washington’s current staff likely won’t paint a negative picture on Haskins to other teams; they’re trying to maximize his trade value after all.

Despite believing Washington will struggle to find a trade partner for Haskins, Cooley does believe the team will ultimately end up dealing him before the end of the month’s deadline.

“He’ll get traded,” Cooley said. “He’ll absolutely get traded.”

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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