Skip to main content

Green-Ellis, Moorman among early wave of NFL cuts

By WTOP Staff

The Associated Press

The Law Firm has closed up shop in Cincinnati.

Running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis was released by the Bengals on Friday, among a handful of players out of jobs — for now — as NFL teams started to trim their rosters to get down to the mandatory 53 players by Saturday afternoon.

Green-Ellis was Cincinnati’s top rusher the past two seasons, but the running back with the amusing nickname was made expendable once the Bengals drafted LSU’s Jeremy Hill in the second round in May. Cincinnati also waived linebacker Brandon Joiner, defensive tackle LaKendrick Ross and quarterback Tyler Wilson.

Also among the announced cuts: Buffalo punter Brian Moorman and quarterback Jordan Palmer, Tampa Bay kicker Connor Barth, Jacksonville center Mike Brewster, Atlanta linebacker Pat Angerer and Chicago running back Jordan Lynch, a former Heisman trophy finalist as a quarterback at Northern Illinois.

Green-Ellis, who ran for 756 yards and a career-low 3.4 yards per carry last season, was entering the final year of his contract. Meanwhile, Hill carried 20 times for 90 yards and caught a team-high six passes for 70 yards during a 35-7 preseason win over Indianapolis on Thursday night.

Moorman, a 13-year veteran who spent 12 seasons in Buffalo, is out for the second time with the Bills. After being cut by the team in 2012, he re-signed with the Bills last October, but struggled this preseason, averaging 40.25 yards.

Palmer, signed Tuesday, had a bad outing in the Bills’ preseason finale, going 9 of 22 for 73 yards and three interceptions in a 23-0 loss to Detroit. He was cut by the Bears last weekend.

Also released by the Bills were: cornerbacks Kamaal McIlwain and Sam Miller, linebacker Xavius Boyd, defensive tackle Landon Cohen, tight end Dominique Jones, fullback Evan Rodriguez, receiver Naaman Roosevelt and center Jared Wheeler.

Buffalo placed three players on reserve/injured: tight end Tony Moeaki and cornerbacks Mario Butler and Bobby Felder.

Barth was the most accurate kicker in Buccaneers history, but missed all of last season after tearing the Achilles tendon in his right foot during a charity basketball game last summer. Rookie Patrick Murray will replace Barth, who made a club-record 92.9 percent of his field-goal attempts in 2011, set a team single-season mark with six of 50-plus yards in 2012, and led the NFL with 33 field goals of 40-plus yards over those two seasons.

Defensive end Larry English and offensive lineman Jamon Meredith also were among those released by the Buccaneers.

Brewster was expected to replace the retired Brad Meester as the Jaguars’ starting center, but struggled this summer and joined third-string quarterback Ricky Stanzi on the unemployment line among Jacksonville’s cuts. Jacksonville likely will start the season with rookie Luke Bowanko, a sixth-round pick from Virginia, at center.

Angerer, a second-round pick by Indianapolis in 2010, made nine starts last season with the Colts and had 63 tackles with one interception before finishing the year on injured reserve with a knee injury.

Also among Atlanta’s cuts were linebacker Yawin Smallwood, a seventh-round pick from Connecticut, and wide receiver Freddie Martino, who caught a 67-yard touchdown pass in Thursday night’s 24-14 preseason win at Jacksonville.

Lynch was signed by the Bears as an undrafted free agent, and was trying to make the team as a running back after playing quarterback in college. He finished third in the Heisman voting last year after throwing 24 touchdown passes and running for 23.

Also released by the Bears were center/guard Robert Turner, wide receiver Armanti Edwards, tight end Jeron Mastrud and offensive tackle Dennis Roland.

Washington waived punter Robert Malone, leaving Tress Way as the apparent winner of the Redskins’ punting competition. The left-footed Way was claimed off waivers from the Chicago Bears, and had four punts for a 45.3-yard average over the final two preseason games.

Teams need to have their rosters set at 53 players by 4 p.m. EDT Saturday.

___

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