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Bucs draft TE Seferian-Jenkins in 2nd round

By WTOP Staff

FRED GOODALL
AP Sports Writer

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay is giving its low-scoring offense a face-lift in the NFL draft.

A day after beginning their first draft under coach Lovie Smith with the selection of Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans, the Buccaneers added Washington tight end Austin Seferin-Jenkins in the second round and West Virginia running back Charles Sims in the third on Friday night.

General manager Jason Licht said the team didn’t enter the draft with a set plan to try to surround offseason acquisition and projected new starting quarterback Josh McCown with playmakers capable of jumpstarting the league’s lowest-ranked attack.

The Bucs finished 30th in scoring and last in passing and total offense in 2013.

“We had a plan, but not necessarily” to concentrate so heavily of upgrading on offense, Licht said. “It’s just the way it fell.”

They began the draft by selecting Evans instead of his much higher-profile college teammate, Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, in the first round.

Seferian-Jenkins was the sixth player selected in the second round, No. 38 overall. Sims, who rushed for a combined 3,465 yards and 40 touchdowns in four seasons at Houston and West Virginia, was taken 69th, even though running back had been considered a strength, with Doug Maritn, Bobby Rainey and Mike James already on the roster.

“You can’t have enough backs, especially when they have versatile skill sets, Licht said, adding that the Bucs rated Sims as the best receiving back in the draft.

Seferian-Jenkins had 36 receptions for 450 yards and 8 touchdowns last season at Washington.

“I’m going to bring explosiveness. I’m going to bring playmaking ability,” he said. “I’m going to bring blocking. I’m going to bring an all-around tight who can play on all three downs, and a guy who’s going to work hard, chase Super Bowls and try to win as many games as possible.”

A two-sport athlete at Washington, where he also played on the basketball team for a portion of his college career, Seferian-Jenkins is the second tight end the Bucs have brought in since last season. The team also added veteran Brandon Myers in free agency.

Meanwhile, Evans flew to Tampa from New York for an introductory news conference.

The more Smith studied Manziel as possibly the franchise’s quarterback of the future, the more the coach became sold on Evans being able to help the team’s struggling offense now.

The 6-5, 231-pound Evans was Manziel’s favorite target the past two seasons.

Smith and Licht watched lots of film of the Aggies quarterback in the weeks leading up to the draft. It was difficult to ignore the guy catching many of Manziel’s passes.

“How could you not notice him? He played with the Heisman Trophy winner. You see him and ask yourself: ‘Who is this big guy who continues to catch touchdowns and make big plays against top competition each week. … It was an easy decision for us,” Smith said.

Pairing Evans with veteran Vincent Jackson, who’s about the same size at 6-5, 230, provides McCown a tandem of big, strong receivers similar to the combination of Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery that helped Tampa Bay’s new quarterback post the best numbers of his career in Chicago last season.

“We have our twin towers now,” Licht said, adding that in addition to being “incredibly strong” Evans has deceptive speed and “catches about everything thrown to him.”

Evans had 151 receptions for 2,499 yards and 17 touchdowns in 26 career games at Texas A&M, even more impressive when one considers he didn’t begin playing football until four years ago, when he was a senior in high school. Before that, he was a basketball standout with dreams of playing in both the NBA and the NFL.

As a redshirt freshman in 2012, he had 82 catches for 1,105 yards and five TDs. Last season, the 20-year-old averaging 20.2 yards per catch, finishing with 69 receptions for 1,394 yards and 12 TDs.

Evans is looking forward to playing with Jackson, who’s averaged 17.4 yards per catch and scored 52 touchdowns in a nine-year career with San Diego and Tampa Bay.

Jackson is a three-time Pro Bowl selection who’s had five 1,000-yard seasons, including the past two with the Bucs.

“I feel my style of play fits well here. … All my hard work is paying off. I’m living out my dream,” Evans said Friday, adding that he doesn’t anticipate a difficult transition going from catching passes thrown by Manziel and getting comfortable working with McCown and Tampa Bay’s other quarterbacks.

That doesn’t mean he won’t miss his old teammate.

“He made me better, I made him better,” Evans added of playing with Manziel. “We had a great relationship. He’s one of my best friends. It was great playing with him.”

___

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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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