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Titans wrap up 6-player draft with QB Mettenberger

By WTOP Staff

TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans insist oft-injured Jake Locker remains their starting quarterback. They also protected themselves by drafting Zach Mettenberger of LSU, though they certainly took their time.

The Titans wrapped up their draft Saturday by trading with Washington to move up eight spots and picking Mettenberger at No. 178 overall in the sixth round.

“We feel good about Jake,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “That doesn’t change our opinion on Jake. We are just trying to make our football team better.”

Mettenberger was their sixth and final pick with players split evenly between offense and defense. He joins left tackle Taylor Lewan of Michigan, the No. 11 selection overall, and running back Bishop Sankey of Washington.

The Titans used their first three picks Saturday on defense: tackle DaQuan Jones of Penn State at No. 112 and defensive back Marqueston Huff of Wyoming at No. 122 in the fourth round and inside linebacker Avery Williamson of Kentucky at 151 overall in the fifth.

Drafting a quarterback is a move the Titans considered sooner. They liked Mettenberger after quarterbacks coach John McNulty worked him out just over a week ago, and general manager Ruston Webster was at Mettenberger’s pro day. With nine other quarterbacks already taken, the Titans made their move with other teams trying to trade up for Mettenberger.

“At that point, we felt like it was a low risk-high reward type of situation,” Whisenhunt said.

Locker has missed 14 of 32 starts since being named the team’s top quarterback, and he was out nine games last season as Tennessee went 7-9 costing Mike Munchak his coaching job. Whisenhunt and Webster repeatedly have endorsed Locker as their starting quarterback even as he heals from surgery on his right foot.

Yet the Titans did not pick up Locker’s fifth-year option to avoid being on the hook for approximately $14 million in 2015 in case of injury.

Locker was the eighth overall pick in 2011 and has for 3,974 yards with 22 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in his 18 starts. He had eight TDs with four TDs in only seven games in 2013. Tennessee swapped Locker’s backups cutting Ryan Fitzpatrick for Charlie Whitehurst who is helping teach Whisenhunt’s offense now.

An eight-year veteran, Whitehurst hasn’t thrown a pass since 2011 when in Seattle. Tyler Wilson, signed in late December, also is on the roster.

Mettenberger gives the Titans a big, strong-armed quarterback at 6-foot-5 and 224 pounds. Mettenberger threw for 3,082 yards and 22 touchdowns with only eight interceptions last season. He tore his left ACL in the regular season finale in November and had surgery in January.

Asked about not being drafted until the sixth round, he called this a great opportunity. He declined to comment on a report he had a positive test at the combine.

“The jury is still out on me,” Mettenberger said. “I am going to do everything I can to prove everyone wrong that I am a great player and I am a great person. More importantly that I am a great person. I really want to show that to everyone.”

Mettenberger wound up being the biggest name drafted by the Titans, finally exciting fans on social media. They certainly need some buzz to lure fans back into the stands in Nashville not having had a winning season or a playoff berth in five years.

He started at Georgia where he redshirted as a freshman and was competing with Aaron Murray before being dismissed in spring 2010 after allegedly groping a woman in a bar during spring break. Mettenberger went to junior college before transferring to LSU in 2011, and he improved greatly in 2013 with former NFL coach Cam Cameron as his offensive coordinator.

Notes: The Titans plan to sign 14 undrafted free agents, including Western Kentucky running back Antonio Andrews. They also were talking to a few kickers. Only Maikon Bonani is on the roster after they cut veteran Rob Bironas in March.

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Online:

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

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Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker

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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