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Browns hit highs, lows, snag Manziel in NFL draft

By WTOP Staff

TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — The euphoria didn’t last long. Never does around here.

For one glorious moment in the three-day NFL draft and a few hours that followed, this long-suffering football town was at the center of the NFL universe.

When Commissioner Roger Goodell stepped to the podium on the Radio City Music Hall stage in New York and announced that the Browns had made a trade and that Johnny Manziel — yes, Johnny College Football himself — was bringing his aerial magic show to Cleveland, the city rocked like it hadn’t in years.

Grown men squealed like little girls. Twitter erupted. Phone lines at the Browns’ headquarters lit up as fans scrambled for season tickets.

It was chaos.

It was brief.

Manziel’s selection, a pick the Browns hope finally ends their decade-long search for a franchise quarterback, was quickly eclipsed by an ESPN report that Pro Bowl wide receiver Josh Gordon failed another drug test and is facing at least a one-year suspension by the league.

Elation, then deflation.

Gordon led the league with 1,646 yards receiving last season despite being suspended the first two games for his second infraction of the league’s substance-abuse policy. It was at least Gordon’s fifth failed drug test since 2010. He was kicked off Baylor’s team for twice testing positive for marijuana and failed another test at Utah.

Browns rookie general manager Ray Farmer couldn’t comment specifically on Gordon’s situation, saying “my hands are tied for what I can say.”

However, Farmer strongly hinted the team may be without its top offensive player for an extended period.

And if so, Farmer understands why some Cleveland fans have mixed feelings following an emotional roller-coaster during the draft.

“Frustration is a natural part of it,” he said. “I think that was what was felt and heard when that announcement (about Gordon) was made, so I don’t fault the fans for their reaction. I don’t fault anyone for being disappointed. To that end, it’s our job to make decisions less painful.

“And in time, it’s no different than if a player was going out during the offseason and broke an ankle or tore an ACL playing pickup hoops. We have to build a football team that can win regardless of who’s missing. I think that’s the charge that we have. That’s my job. That’s coach Pettine’s job. To prepare this football team to win games regardless of who’s missing.”

Despite a deep class of wide receivers, the Browns chose not to draft any.

Farmer believes he improved Cleveland’s roster by drafting six players and acquiring three picks in next year’s draft. He didn’t show any first-time jitters in making five trades, the biggest in moving up from No. 26 to No. 22 to grab Manziel, Texas A&M’s star quarterback.

“I didn’t think I’d be a wheeler, dealer, that’s for certain,” Farmer said, joking that he earned a nickname when teams called the Browns. “It was definitely interesting to hear friends and colleagues say, ‘Is Trader Ray available?'”

Farmer didn’t waste any time on Thursday, passing on wide receiver Sammy Watkins among others and trading the No. 4 overall pick to Buffalo at No. 9 for a first- and fourth-round pick in 2015. He then swapped picks with Minnesota and took Oklahoma State cornerback Justin Gilbert at No. 8.

The 6-foot-1 Gilbert is expected to start on the opposite side of Pro Bowler Joe Haden.

The Browns picked up versatile Nevada offensive lineman Joel Bitonio in the second round and Iowa linebacker Christian Kirksey in the third. Also in third, they drafted Towson running back Terrance West, who scored 41 touchdowns last season. Cleveland selected cornerback Pierre Desir from Division II Lindenwood in the fourth — what turned to be the Browns’ last pick.

Farmer dealt his seventh-round pick to Baltimore for a sixth-rounder next year, when Cleveland will have 10 picks.

Cleveland’s plan entering the draft was to get tougher and deeper, and new Browns coach Mike Pettine feels the team accomplished both goals.

“We have a plan of how we’re going to build this team,” Pettine said. “We’re going to build it on character. We’re going to build it on toughness. What we’ve done in this draft embodies that, and that was important to us, not just to talk about it. You’re not going to stand in front of a room and say, ‘Hey, let’s get tougher.’ What you do is you get tough people in that room.”

Manziel is one of them.

The Browns have decided to go all in with the former Heisman Trophy winner, who brings cockiness and charisma to Cleveland.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who considered taking Manziel, likened the 21-year-old QB to an iconic king.

“He’s Elvis Presley,” Jones said.

Farmer said he’s not worried about Manziel being too big for the Browns to handle.

“We have to have a game plan and a strategy,” he said. “He does have celebrity. He’s a polarizing personality to some degree, the legend of Johnny Football. There’s a swell around him and part of our job is to help him learn to deal with that in a professional manner.”

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://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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