What Are NFL Compensatory Picks?

The NFL awards compensatory picks to teams that have lost more than they’ve gained in free agency. These picks are determined by a formula that takes into account the number of free agents a team has lost, as well as the contracts they signed.

What are compensatory picks?

In the NFL, compensatory draft picks are awarded to teams that have lost more or better compensatory free agents than they acquired in the previous year. The value of a compensatory pick is based on the free agent’s salary, playing time and postseason honors.

How are compensatory picks determined?

Compensatory picks are determined by a formula based on salary, playing time and postseason honors. The formula was created when the NFL instituted free agency in 1993 to prevent teams from losing key players without being able to replace them.

Not all free agents lost by a team result in compensatory picks. If a team signs a free agent from another team, that signing cancels out the loss of its own free agent. Also, not all players who are signed by a team after being released by another team are considered “net gains” for the purposes of the compensatory pick formula. If a player is signed and released before the start of the season, he is not factored into the compensatory pick equation.

The number of compensatory picks a team can receive each year is capped at four.

What is the history of compensatory picks in the NFL?

The National Football League (NFL) awards compensatory draft picks to teams that have lost more or better compensatory free agents (CFA) than they acquired the previous year. These extra picks—32 in total—are slotted at the end of rounds three through seven, and they give those teams a chance to replenish some of the draft capital they spent the previous offseason.

What is the most recent change to the compensatory pick system?

In 2020, the NFL changed the compensatory pick system for the first time since it was instituted in 1994. The new rules state that a team can receive a maximum of four compensatory picks, and that picks can be traded for the first time. The changes were made in an effort to make the system more fair and predictable, and to give teams more flexibility in how they use their picks.

How have compensatory picks affected NFL teams?

In the NFL, compensatory picks are given to teams that have lost more or better free agents than they signed the previous offseason. The number of picks a team receives is determined by a formula that takes into account the salary, playing time, and postseason honors of the free agents that were signed and lost. These picks are spread out over the rounds of the NFL Draft, and can be traded.

Do all teams receive compensatory picks?

No, not every team receives compensatory picks. In order to be eligible to receive compensatory picks, a team must have lost more or better free agents than it acquired the previous offseason, and the difference must be equal to or greater than the net loss of a second-round pick. If a team has multiple players who qualify, they are slotted in order of importance, with the player perceived to be most important being worth the equivalent of a third-round pick, the second most important worth a fourth-round pick, and so on.

How have compensatory picks changed the NFL Draft?

In 1993, the NFL created a system to award compensatory draft picks to teams that had lost free agents the previous offseason. The goal was twofold: to keep teams from being unfairly penalized for spending money in free agency, and to create more parity in the league by giving losing teams a way to improve.

The compensatory pick system has had a significant impact on how teams approach free agency and the NFL Draft. In recent years, compensatory picks have become more valuable, as they are now untradeable and can be used to help teams fill specific needs. As a result, some teams have been hesitant to sign high-priced free agents, preferring to let other teams overpay and receive compensatory picks in return.

Compensatory picks have also had an impact on how teams value draft picks. In past years, it was not uncommon for teams to trade away future first-round picks in order to get immediate help. However, with the advent of the compensatory pick system, those future first-rounders have become more valuable, as they can now be used to offset the loss of free agents.

In short, the compensatory pick system has made it harder for teams to improve through free agency and the NFL Draft. While this may seem like a bad thing, it has actually helped create more parity in the league by making it harder for successful teams to keep their core players together and giving struggling teams a way to make up ground.

What are some notable compensatory picks in NFL history?

In the NFL, a compensatory pick is a draft pick that a team is awarded for losing more or better compensatory free agents than it acquired the previous offseason. The award of compensatory picks was introduced in 1994, and the first compensatory picks were awarded in the 1996 NFL Draft. In the NFL, a total of 32 compensatory picks are awarded each year, with each team receiving a maximum of four picks.

Tom Brady

Tom Brady was originally a 6th round pick by the New England Patriots in the 2000 NFL Draft. He was the 199th pick overall. He has gone on to have one of the greatest careers in NFL history, winning 6 Super Bowls and being named MVP 5 times.

Aaron Rodgers

In 2005, the Packers used a compensatory pick on Aaron Rodgers, who became one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. Rodgers was actually the second consecutive compensatory pick used on a quarterback by the Packers, as they used a 2004 compensatory pick on Ingle Martin.

Russell Wilson

As a three-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion, Russell Wilson is one of the more accomplished quarterbacks in NFL history. He was also a compensatory pick.

The Seattle Seahawks selected Wilson in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft with the 75th overall pick. At the time, it was considered a reach by some, as Wilson was considered too short (5-11) to be an NFL quarterback.

Wilson has made those doubters look foolish, as he has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league since he entered the league. He has led the Seahawks to six straight playoff appearances, including a Super Bowl win in 2013.

While Wilson wasn’t technically a “compensatory pick,” as he was drafted with a pick that the Seahawks acquired from another team, he is often lumped in with those players. That’s because he was drafted with a pick that the Seahawks wouldn’t have had if they hadn’t lost free agents in 2011.