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Vikings leave no doubt about priority: the defense

By WTOP Staff

DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Pro Football Writer

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — One simple statistic has essentially driven an entire offseason strategy for the Minnesota Vikings.

After watching the Vikings allow more points than any other team in the NFL last year, general manager Rick Spielman engineered an exhaustive improvement project to improve his defense.

“We’re going to create some great competition for our football team,” Spielman said on Saturday night after the conclusion of the NFL draft.

Hours after the Vikings finished last season 5-10-1, Spielman fired coach Leslie Frazier and hired former Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer to replace him. With nose tackle Linval Joseph and cornerback Captain Munnerlyn leading the list, nine of the 12 players added from other teams during free agency were on defense. Over the last three days, seven of their 10 draft picks were on that side of the ball.

“The theme here was going defense, was going with guys with a lot of the athletic traits,” Spielman said.

The Vikings waited until the sixth round to supplement a secondary that was the most glaring problem area last season, taking Virginia Tech’s Antone Exum and Maine cornerback Kendall James with the 182nd and 184th overall selection. Exum played some cornerback, but he’ll start as a safety here.

In the seventh round, Connecticut defensive tackle Shamar Stephen, Georgia Tech linebacker Brandon Watts and North Carolina cornerback Jabari Price were picked.

True to form, Spielman maneuvered his way into more picks after making two trades during the first round on Thursday. The Vikings struck two more deals on Saturday to bring their final-day total to six selections, after using their first four picks on a linebacker (Anthony Barr), a quarterback (Teddy Bridgewater), a defensive end (Scott Crichton) and a running back (Jerick McKinnon).

The Vikings took Stanford guard David Yankey in the fifth round with the 145th pick, which came from came from Cleveland, when the Vikings and Browns swapped the eighth and ninth spots in the first round Thursday. The Vikings traded their original 148th pick to Carolina for the 168th selection and an extra seventh-rounder (Price). Then they dealt the 168th pick to Atlanta for a sixth (James) and a seventh-round selection (Stephen). Exum and Watts were taken with their original picks in those rounds.

Zimmer wasn’t used to all the activity.

“I just told him, ‘Relax. We’ll get you some players,'” Spielman said, laughing. He added: “That’s why I love the draft. I love manipulating. I love moving around.”

Exum tore the anterior cruciate ligament and lateral meniscus in his right knee in January 2013 and was limited to three games last season. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Exum had five interceptions and 16 pass breakups as a junior .

The Vikings gave up 37 touchdowns passing last season, the most in the NFL. They signed Munnerlyn and cornerback Derek Cox and have high hopes for Xavier Rhodes, one of three first-round draft picks last year. Harrison Smith is entrenched at one safety spot. But more depth was badly needed.

The only offensive player taken Saturday was the 6-foot-4, 314-pound Yankey, who played his junior year at left tackle, where his size could be a better fit. Stanford coach David Shaw, serving as a guest analyst on NFL Network, said he’d prefer Yankey at right tackle. But with Matt Kalil and Phil Loadholt as the bookends on a line that’s been intact for two straight seasons, Yankey is more likely to challenge incumbent Charlie Johnson at left guard.

The unanimous first team All-American became in 2010 the first true freshman offensive lineman to play for Stanford in 10 years. He was part of a dominant Cardinal front five that yielded only 11 sacks in 14 games.

“I think it’s huge. I think it’s a big focus on technique and having that technical emphasis, and running an offense that is really pro-style gets you really well prepared for the NFL,” said Yankey, a native of Roswell, Georgia, whose father is from Ghana and mother is from Slovakia.

Highlighting the list of undrafted players who agreed to terms on contracts late Saturday was ex-Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter, who finished his four-year career with 2,180 yards rushing, an average of 4.9 yards per attempt, but is likely to be a wide receiver in the NFL. Colter has become the face of the union movement among college athletes, arguing for more basic rights like guaranteed medical coverage and the prevention of scholarships being revoked through coaching changes.

___

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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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