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Bengals take QB A.J. McCarron, upgrade defense

By WTOP Staff

JOE KAY
AP Sports Writer

CINCINNATI (AP) — A cornerback who sees a little of himself in Darrelle Revis. A tall defensive end who is similar to Michael Johnson, even sharing his jersey number.

The Bengals think they’ve upgraded two important areas by getting cornerback Darqueze Dennard and defensive end Will Clarke in the draft. They also brought in a center who could start right away and a running back who could be pretty close behind.

“You feel good about it at the end,” coach Marvin Lewis said.

And for their most intriguing move, they formed a new throw-and-catch tandem.

Get ready for A.J.-to-A.J. In practice, anyway.

The Bengals got a big-game quarterback to back up Andy Dalton on Saturday, taking Alabama’s A.J. McCarron in the fifth round. The Heisman Trophy runner-up was still available for the 164th overall pick.

McCarron’s history of winning national championships was enticing to the Bengals, who haven’t been able to win with Dalton in the playoffs. Still, the pecking order is set for the foreseeable future. It’ll be Dalton throwing to A.J. Green.

“I’m confident in myself but at the same time, I know Andy’s the QB out there and I respect that,” McCarron said on a conference call. “All I want to do is go in and help us in whatever way I can.

“If that means me holding the clipboard for a couple of years and giving Andy reports during the week and watching film with him and helping him in any way I can, I’m just ready to do it.”

Dalton led the Bengals to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons, only to have some of his worst games. The Bengals lost their opening-round game all three seasons, falling to 0-5 in the postseason under Lewis.

The Bengals haven’t won a playoff game since 1990, matching the sixth-longest streak of postseason futility in NFL history.

Although Dalton is entering the final year on his deal, he and the Bengals are discussing an extension and the club has been unwavering in its support. When it comes to developing his backups, Cincinnati hasn’t had as much success.

The Bengals signed Jason Campbell in the offseason, their third different backup in the last three years. They still have Josh Johnson, who was No. 2 last season. Dalton had expected them to draft a backup in a later round and try to develop him.

At least initially, there’s not much of a commitment to McCarron.

“We tell all our quarterbacks here: You may not start here, but if you come here and you grow and you prepare and you learn, you may have to play someplace else in your career — we never know how that’s going to unfold — but what we’re going to do is create an environment where our quarterbacks can be the best that they can be,” offensive coordinator Hue Jackson said.

With Dalton getting most of the plays in practice and Campbell trying to grow into the backup role, McCarron will get his best chance to throw to Green and the other receivers before and after practice.

The Bengals think that McCarron’s competitiveness will help the other quarterbacks in some ways.

“The bar in his mind is set really high and I know he felt this is a long way down the road for him to get picked,” quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese said. “He’s happy being picked, but he saw himself in a much higher light in regard to how the NFL saw him.

“I just know he sees himself as guy that’s a starter, that’s on top of the heap, that he can do all those things. And I love that about him.”

The Bengals moved up 12 spots in the fourth round — only the third time in franchise history that they’ve traded up in a round — to get center Russell Bodine from North Carolina. He’ll compete right away for the start job left open when Kyle Cook was released.

Overall, the Bengals drafted Dennard, LSU running back Jeremy Hill, Clarke, North Carolina center Russell Bodine, McCarron, Arizona linebacker Marquis Flowers, LSU receiver James Wright and Georgia Southern defensive back Lavelle Westbrooks.

Dennard, who tries to emulate Revis, is slated for a reserve role initially. So is Clarke, who got Johnson’s No. 93.

___

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

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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