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Raiders take Derek Carr with 2nd-round pick

By WTOP Staff

JOSH DUBOW
AP Sports Writer

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Raiders drafted their possible quarterback of the future less than two months after acquiring a new starter.

The Raiders drafted Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr with the 36th overall pick in the NFL draft on Friday night to compete with starter Matt Schaub.

“They want me to come in, work hard, compete,” Carr said. “Whenever I’m the quarterback, great. To me, it doesn’t matter what the situation is — if I’m a starter, if I’m a backup, there to learn. My No. 1 goal is to help the Raiders win, and I’m going to do that.”

The Raiders also added help on the offensive line after trading down 14 spots in the third round. Oakland drafted Mississippi State guard Gabe Jackson 81st overall and also added a fourth-round pick from Miami in the deal, 116th overall.

Oakland traded a sixth-round pick to Houston in March to acquire Schaub and immediately named him the starter. In an interesting twist, Schaub replaced Carr’s older brother, David, as starter in Houston. David Carr was the first draft pick ever for the Texans in 2002 and started five seasons there before being let go.

“I learned everything that he did right and everything that he did wrong,” Carr said. “He told me that if he could do anything, he hopes he made the path smoother for me as I transition into the NFL.”

Derek Carr was one of the most productive quarterbacks in college football last season. He threw for 5,083 yards and 50 touchdowns with only eight interceptions in a spread offense at Fresno State that included many quick screens and almost exclusively shotgun formations. He also won the 2013 Sammy Baugh Award, which goes to the nation’s top passer.

Carr is one of just 19 quarterbacks in FBS history to throw for more than 10,000 career yards and 100 touchdowns. His ratio of 113 touchdown passes to 24 interceptions is the second highest in FBS history for all quarterbacks with at least 100 career touchdown passes.

Carr played in a pro-style offense under former coach Pat Hill in 2011 and was considered to have one of the strongest arms in the draft and was a possible first-round pick. Carr lasted until early in the second round and the Raiders pounced when he was still there despite having already added Schaub.

“He’s a young quarterback,” Raiders director of personnel Joey Clinkscales said. “We aren’t expecting him to walk in the door and be the starter. We have a starter. So whenever that time occurs we’re confident the kid will be ready to play.”

“You just sit there and wait for your phone to ring,” Carr said. “It’s weird. You sit there, you hope it rings with every pick that goes by. But I got to be honest, the way it worked out, the place I’m going and the coaches and players I’ll be around, I couldn’t be happier.”

This marked the second straight year the Raiders traded for a potential starting quarterback before drafting another. Neither of last year’s acquisitions worked out as Matt Flynn was beaten out by Terrelle Pryor for the starting job and eventually released after coming over from Seattle. Fourth-round pick Tyler Wilson did not make the roster out of training camp, having been beaten out by undrafted free agent Matt McGloin.

This is the fourth time since 1981 the Raiders have taken a quarterback in the first two rounds, having taken Todd Marinovich (1991) and JaMarcus Russell (2007) in the first round and Marques Tuiasosopo (2001) in the second round.

Jackson will add to an overhauled offensive line that also includes free-agent tackle Donald Penn and guards Austin Howard and Kevin Boothe.

Jackson was a four-time all-SEC selection who started 52 games and is known as a power blocker.

“‘I think he can come in and play pretty early,” Clinkscales said. “I think he’s a powerful, physical young man. When you’re building a guard, physically, that’s what they look like. Once he gets on the field and starts competing, we’ll see how it turns out.”

The Raiders previously took linebacker Khalil Mack with their first-round pick Thursday.

___

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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