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Patriots add depth to offensive, defensive lines

By WTOP Staff

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots bolstered their offensive and defensive lines on the third day of the NFL draft Saturday.

The Patriots, who allowed 40 sacks in 2013 — the most times quarterback Tom Brady has been sacked in a full season since he arrived in Foxborough — drafted three offensive linemen: Florida State center Bryan Stork, tackle Cameron Fleming of Stanford, and guard Jon Halapio of Florida.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick said the Pats didn’t set out to revamp the offensive line but the picks worked out that way.

“That’s just the way it fell,” he said.

The defensive line, beset by injuries to starters Vince Wilfork and Tommy Kelly in 2013, added pass-rushing defensive end Zach Moore of Concordia-St. Paul in the sixth round to go with first-round pick and fellow defensive end Dominique Easley of Florida, the 29th overall pick.

New England also selected running back James White of Wisconsin in the fourth round, cornerback/safety Jemea Thomas of Georgia Tech in the sixth round and wide receiver Jeremy Gallon of Michigan in the seventh round.

In Friday’s second round, the Pats tabbed quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo of Eastern Illinois with the 62nd overall pick to back up Brady and then traded their third-round pick to Jacksonville for the Jaguars’ fourth- and sixth-round picks. The fourth-round pick became Stork and the sixth-round pick became Halapio.

The Patriots drafted the 6-foot-4, 300-pound Stork with their first pick in the fourth round.

Stork, who protected Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston, was a consensus All-America, the winner of the 2013 Rimington Award as the nation’s top center and was a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy, but missed the physical testing at the combine this spring because of knee and shoulder injuries.

“I’m very excited,” Stork said via a conference call. “It’s definitely a team I always wanted. I like the way they do things.”

He said “I’m fine” when asked about the injuries that caused him to miss the combine testing.

The Patriots recently re-signed starting center Ryan Wendell for two years.

They followed the Stork pick by taking White (5-9, 204) with their second fourth-round pick. White had 1,444 yards rushing and seven TDs on the ground for the Badgers last fall, and added 35 catches and two more touchdowns as a receiver.

He finished with 4,015 career yards rushing and, in 754 combined career touches during his Wisconsin career, only had two fumbles.

White, in a conference call, acknowledged he was proud of that statistic. “It (not fumbling) is very important. Ball security is job security,” he said.

Belichick said White’s size and skill set are very comparable to Shane Vereen, who served as the Pats’ primary receiver out of the backfield last season.

Fleming, the third fourth-round pick, is a 6-5, 323-pound offensive tackle who started 39 games for the Cardinal over three seasons and was All-Pac-12 second-team in 2013. The Patriots have two solid returning starting tackles in Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer.

“I hope to learn from those guys what the NFL is all about,” Fleming said.

In the sixth round, the Pats selected Halapio, a 6-foot-3, 320-pound guard from Florida, a two-time captain for the Gators who played all of last season with a partially torn pectoral muscle. He was happy about rejoining teammate Easley and said going against Easley in practice “made me a lot better as a football player.”

The 6-6, 285-pound Moore, the first player ever drafted from Concordia-St. Paul, had 33 career sacks and described himself as an “all-around pass rusher. I can get through quickness, power, anything.”

Belichick seemed intrigued by the potential of Moore, while admitting “he needs a lot of work” and that it would take time. “He can be a productive player for us,” he said.

Thomas, 5-10, 195 pounds, who can play corner or safety, had 234 career tackles and nine interceptions in 54 games for the Yellow Jackets.

Gallon is a small (5-8, 185) receiver who projects to play in the slot; he had 1,373 receiving yards and nine touchdowns this season.

One area the Patriots did not address in the draft is tight end, where the return date for injured star Rob Gronkowski is unclear.

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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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