Skip to main content

Bills sign QB Orton; cut 10 including WR Graham

By WTOP Staff

JOHN WAWROW
AP Sports Writer

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Veteran quarterback Kyle Orton is in and Jeff Tuel out after the Buffalo Bills shuffled their backup quarterbacks on Saturday for the second time this week.

Orton, a nine-year NFL veteran, signed a one-year contract as the Bills finally addressed their lengthy search for an established veteran to play behind second-year starter EJ Manuel.

Orton spent the past two seasons in Dallas before being cut by the Cowboys in mid-July after he skipped the team’s offseason workouts amid reports that he was considering retirement.

The Bills targeted a veteran after entering last season with two untested players: Tuel, an undrafted rookie, and journeyman Thad Lewis.

Lewis was cut on Tuesday and Tuel became the odd-man out in being among 10 players cut by the Bills to establish their 53-man roster.

That leaves Manuel and Orton as Buffalo’s only two quarterbacks in preparing to open the season at Chicago on Sept. 7.

It’s the latest switch of quarterbacks in Buffalo. Fifth-year player Jordan Palmer was signed on Tuesday and then cut on Friday, a day after throwing three interceptions in a preseason-ending 23-0 loss to Detroit.

The Bills also carrying two punters after signing Colton Schmidt, who spent the past two preseasons with San Francisco before being cut each time by the 49ers. He joins Jordan Gay, who was signed earlier this week.

Receiver T.J. Graham, a third-round pick in the 2012 draft, and veteran offensive lineman Doug Legursky were among the notable players released Saturday.

Graham, who had 54 catches for 683 yards and three touchdowns in 31 games, was unable to get a spot in a group of receivers that included the offseason additions of first-round draft pick Sammy Watkins and veteran Mike Williams.

Also cut were safeties Deon Broomfield and Kenny Ladler; linebacker Jimmy Gaines; receiver Caleb Holley; defensive ends Ikponmwosa Igbinosun and Bryan Johnson; and guard Antoine McLain.

The Bills are actually carrying 54 players, including linebacker Nigel Bradham, who won’t count against the roster in Week 1. Bradham was suspended for one game by the NFL for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

The Bills had Orton on their radar for more than a month, but had their previous offers rebuffed.

He was Chicago’s fourth-round pick in 2005, and also played in Denver and Kansas City. He has a 35-35 record and gone 1,326 of 2,265 for 15,019 yards with 83 touchdowns and 59 interceptions.

He went 10-5 as a rookie in leading the Bears to the playoffs while filling in for injured starter Rex Grossman. Orton did not play the following season after Grossman reclaimed the starting job.

Orton eventually spent two-plus seasons in Denver before losing the starting job to Tim Tebow.

He spent the past two seasons backing up Tony Romo in Dallas, where Orton went 42 of 61 for 479 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in four games. That included a start in last year’s season-ending 24-22 loss to Philadelphia that was sealed by Orton throwing a late interception.

Orton could be in line for playing time in Buffalo.

Manuel was both injury-prone and inconsistent as a rookie last year. The first-round pick finished 4-6 and missed time because of three separate knee injuries.

Though Manuel has remained healthy this offseason, the Bills’ offense has sputtered. The Manuel-led starters combined to score four field goals and two touchdowns in five preseason games.

___

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote