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Panthers select S Boston, CB Benwikere, RB Gaffney

By WTOP Staff

STEVE REED
AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers wrapped up the final day of the NFL draft Saturday by bolstering their depth in the secondary and adding a running back.

As for filling the huge void at left tackle, they’re hoping the answer is already on the roster.

Carolina took North Carolina safety Tre Boston in the fourth round, then traded up 20 spots in the fifth round with Minnesota to take San Jose State cornerback Bene’ Benwikere. Carolina added Stanford running back Tyler Gaffney in the sixth round.

Carolina traded away its fifth- and seventh-round picks to Minnesota to get Benwikere.

After the draft, general manager Dave Gettleman said on a teleconference the Panthers drafted Boston in part because they’ve decided to move veteran safety Charles Godfrey to cornerback.

That’s a bit of a surprise. Godfrey was a five-year starter at safety for Carolina before a torn Achilles in a Week 2 loss at Buffalo ended his season. Godfrey, who already took a $4.1 million pay cut this offseason, hasn’t played cornerback since college in 2007.

“We are going to start him at corner and let him do all the drills and give him an opportunity to play that position as well as the nickel position — that’s why we made the move,” Gettleman said of Godfrey.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Boston brings depth to a safety position that includes free agent pickups Roman Harper and Thomas DeCoud, and returning backups Robert Lester and Colin Jones.

“He’s very smart and can get everybody lined up,” Gettleman said of Boston. “He’s a physical player who sets a tone.”

Boston played two seasons at cornerback for the Tar Heels and finished with 12 interceptions during his college career.

“It’s a dream to play on this defense with how they great they are,” Boston said of joining the NFL’s second-ranked defense in 2013. “Just talking about it I’m just getting chills because I know I can learn so much from those guys.”

Gettleman said the 6-foot, 192-pound Benwikere, who started 30 games at San Jose State and tied a school record with 14 career interceptions, will compete for a starting nickel back spot in Carolina.

The 5-foot-11, 220-pound Gaffney could provide a long-term replacement for DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart at running back.

The Panthers like his athleticism and ability to pick up the blitz.

Gaffney left Stanford in 2012 to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league team in State College, Pennsylvania. He hit .297 in 38 games, but said he missed football and decided to return to Stanford for his senior season.

In 2013 he won the starting job and ran for 1,709 yards with 21 touchdowns.

“I found out I love football,” Gaffney said. “You step away and find out this is what you want to do.”

The one position of need the Panthers didn’t address in the draft was offensive tackle.

Jordan Gross, an 11-year NFL veteran and three-time Pro Bowler, retired this past offseason creating a huge void at left tackle. Gettleman said the Panthers were never in a position to upgrade there after the five tackles went off the board in the first round before their pick.

Instead, the Panthers selected wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin from Florida State instead at No. 28 overall Thursday night.

Carolina used its second round pick on Missouri defensive end Kony Ealy and third round choice on LSU guard Trai Turner.

“Once you got past that top tier of tackles there was a huge drop off,” Gettleman said. “For us, we just felt the guys we have on our roster that are going to compete for those spots were just as good if not better than what we were staring at. Plus the value wasn’t there.”

Byron Bell, last year’s starting right tackle, and Nate Chandler will battle for the right to protect quarterback Cam Newton’s blindside.

“Sometimes the best players are already on your roster,” Gettleman said.

Gettleman ran the third day of the draft remotely through Skype from Worcester, Massachusetts, where he attended his son’s graduated from Becker College on Saturday morning.

Gettleman said he was set up and ready to go to work after the ceremony ended.

He said the day, which included the trade with the Vikings, went off without a hitch.

“This is one of those things I believe I needed to do,” Gettleman said of attending his son’s graduation.

___

AP NFL websites: 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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