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Cowboys move up for Boise DE Lawrence in 2nd round

By WTOP Staff

SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer

IRVING, Texas (AP) — Demarcus Lawrence would have been compared to the franchise sacks leader for the Dallas Cowboys even without sharing a first name.

Now that the Cowboys have a “new Demarcus” to replace DeMarcus Ware after trading up with NFC East rival Washington to get him?

Let the conversation begin.

“I’m my own Demarcus,” the Boise State defensive end said Friday night after the Cowboys moved up 13 spots to draft him at No. 34 overall, the second pick in the second round. “I don’t like to try to be nobody else. I’m going to be me, and I’m going to do it well.”

The Cowboys didn’t waste any time addressing the league’s worst defense a day after drafting an offensive lineman in the first round for the third time in four years. The Redskins got the 47th overall pick in the second round and No. 78 overall in the third from Dallas.

Not only did the Cowboys finish last in the NFL in total defense, they signaled an overhaul of their defensive front by releasing Ware as soon as free agency opened in March.

Dallas switched to a four-man defensive front last year and moved Ware and Anthony Spencer from linebacker to defensive end. The Cowboys are bringing Spencer back, but he missed 15 games last season with a left knee injury and probably won’t be ready when training camp starts in July.

The Cowboys also tried to bolster their front four with free agents Henry Melton, Jeremy Mincey and Terrell McClain.

Add up the career sacks of all the defensive linemen on the Dallas roster, and the total comes up 32.5 sacks short of the 117 compiled by Ware. He signed with Denver a day after his release and is coming off the worst season of his nine-year career.

Lawrence had 20 sacks in two seasons at Boise State, and the Cowboys said he was the last player on their board they thought would be capable of playing right defensive end, which is supposed to be the team’s best pass rusher.

“In the area of putting pressure on the passer, he certainly was a first-round pressure player for us,” owner and general manager Jerry Jones said.

Lawrence, who skipped his final season at Boise State to enter the draft, was suspended twice for violating team rules during the 2012 season, including for the Las Vegas Bowl. He said the suspensions were for “childish behaviors,” declining to elaborate.

“It was just me growing up,” Lawrence said. “I had a lot of stuff on my shoulders and I just had to learn how to take a lot of that aggression and bring it to football.”

Ware was also a standout in the community for the Cowboys, and coach Jason Garrett said he had no concern that Lawrence would wilt under expectations on or off the field.

“We try to get our arms around where they are and if we feel comfortable enough with what happened of how we might be able to help a player, we put a player on the board and we embrace them,” Garrett said.

The Cowboys started having conversations with trade partners as soon as they took Notre Dame offensive tackle Zack Martin with the No. 16 pick in the first round on Thursday. The dialogue continued early Friday, and the Cowboys were on the clock as soon as Houston was finished with the first pick of the draft’s second day.

“The biggest thing was we wanted to get up there at the top because we thought that he could go because of his unique quality,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “We didn’t want to take a chance on losing him.”

Dallas was set to enter the final day with eight picks — one each in the fourth and fifth rounds and six in the final round.

The Cowboys’ sixth-round pick went to Kansas City in a trade last year, and their extra picks in the seventh round were a combination of trades and compensation for free agents that signed with other teams.

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Online:

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

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Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler

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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