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Lions address secondary, take Lawson in 4th round

By WTOP Staff

NOAH TRISTER
AP Sports Writer

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions finally tried to help their secondary in the NFL draft.

The Lions took cornerback Nevin Lawson of Utah State in the fourth round Saturday, hoping to shore up an area that seems to lack depth. The secondary is a concern for Detroit, especially given cornerback Chris Houston’s injury problems. The Lions had used two of their first three picks on offense on the draft’s first two days.

Three picks after drafting Lawson on Saturday, Detroit added defensive end Larry Webster of Bloomsburg with another fourth-round pick.

“We were targeting some defensive players,” general manager Martin Mayhew said. “Some of those guys went. We had a few offensive players there too, but we ended up getting two defensive players.”

The Lions traded down a few spots within the fifth round, picking up a seventh-round pick from Dallas in the process. Detroit used its new fifth rounder on defensive tackle Caraun Reid of Princeton. Then the Lions picked wide receiver TJ Jones of Notre Dame in the sixth round and kicker Nate Freese of Boston College in the seventh.

Lawson, listed by the Lions at 5-foot-10, was one of the top defensive players in the Mountain West Conference last year, and he was a regular starter during his last three seasons at Utah State.

“My height never bothered me. It’s not how big you are, it’s how big you play,” Lawson said. “I feel I can do everything. I feel I can do blitz, I feel I can tackle, I could play off, I could play press, I could play zone — whatever I’m asked to do.”

The draft began in somewhat surprising fashion for Detroit, which took tight end Eric Ebron in the first round Thursday night. They picked linebacker Kyle Van Noy and center Travis Swanson in rounds two and three. On Saturday, the Lions were able to draft more toward positions of need, such as defensive back and kicker.

Lawson had four interceptions as a senior.

“You put the tape on, this kid can run,” Mayhew said. “His play speed is faster than his time speed in the 40 at the combine. He’s very productive, solid in man-to-man coverage.”

The Lions drafted defensive backs Darius Slay, Bill Bentley, Chris Greenwood and Jonte Green in 2012 and 2013, but none of those players started more than five games last season.

Webster spent three years starting on Bloomsburg’s college basketball team before giving football a second shot in 2012 at the Division II school. He had 26 sacks over two seasons.

Reid had 20 ½ sacks as a college player, and he also blocked seven kicks. He is the first Princeton player drafted in the fifth round or higher since Washington took kicker Charlie Gogolak sixth overall in 1966. He played in the 2014 Senior Bowl, becoming the first Ivy Leaguer to do that since 1980.

“Senior Bowl was amazing,” he said. “I love competing, and especially being able to be in a place where you’re competing against people who might doubt your abilities. That drove me far more than I’ve ever been driven in my life. People who doubt who I was, because of, sort of me coming from a small school.”

Although the Lions began Saturday with a defensive focus, they did add Jones, the godson of former Notre Dame star Raghib “Rocket” Ismail.

“Clutch guy, playmaker for them,” Mayhew said. “He was a guy they went to in the red area.”

Freese will have a chance to replace David Akers as Detroit’s kicker. Freese made all 20 of his field goal attempts last season at Boston College.

“He’s been very consistent and very accurate,” Mayhew said. “He has not been a guy that’s booming 58-yard field goals, but these guys develop, and over time they mature. We’ll see how strong his leg gets when he gets here.”

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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