The NFL has finally announced the awarding of compensatory picks for the 2012 draft. A total of 32 compensatory selections were given to 15 teams, with the Green Bay Packers receiving the maximum four picks. Also earning the maximum amount were the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns.
Two of Green Bay’s four selections come in the fourth round (no. 132 and 133), while the other two come in the seventh (no. 241 and 243). Combined with the seventh-round pick earned from the Jets through trading OL Caleb Schlauderaff, this takes them up to 12 total picks for the 2012 draft.
Information about compensatory selections and this year’s full list are provided by NFL.com:
Under the rules for compensatory draft selections, a team losing more or better compensatory free agents than it acquires in the previous year is eligible to receive compensatory draft picks.
The number of picks a team receives equals the net loss of compensatory free agents up to a maximum of four. The 32 compensatory choices announced today will supplement the 221 choices in the seven rounds of the 2012 NFL Draft (April 26-28), which will kick off in primetime for the third consecutive year.
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Compensatory free agents are determined by a formula based on salary, playing time and postseason honors. The formula was developed by the NFL Management Council. Not every free agent lost or signed by a club is covered by this formula.
The players lost in free agency last year were Cullen Jenkins (Eagles), guard Daryn Colledge (Cardinals), running back Brandon Jackson (Browns), guard Jason Spitz (Jacksonville) and fullback Korey Hall (Saints). Ted Thompson did not sign any free agents last season to offset their losses, thus helping them gain the maximum number of picks for this year.
Packers fans should understand by now that this is common practice for Thompson. His philosophy of building through the draft and dipping into free agency only when necessary allows him to stockpile a large number of picks from year to year. It lets him not only “shotgun” the draft for talent, but also use picks to trade around the board as needed.
It should be noted, however, that compensatory picks may not be traded. They will give Thompson more room to trade his other picks, though.
In looking ahead to next year, the Packers have already lost QB Matt Flynn (Seahawks) and C Scott Wells (Rams) as unrestricted free agents. RB Ryan Grant, DL Howard Green, and LB Erik Walden have yet to sign contracts anywhere, and DB Jarrett Bush re-signed with Green Bay earlier this month.
Their acquisition of C Jeff Saturday and DL Daniel Muir last week should not count as free agency “gains,” since Muir was released during the season by Indianapolis and Saturday has more than 10 years in the league.
——————Chad Toporski, a Wisconsin native and current Pittsburgh resident, is a writer for AllGreenBayPackers.com. You can follow Chad on twitter at @ChadToporski
Follow @ChadToporski——————
12 is a nice number for TT to work with. Trade up? Trade Down? Keep’m all?? Draft day(s) will be interesting.
Personally, I would like to see the pack trade out of the 3rd and 4th round to move up to the early 3rd, in hopes that a 2nd round talent slips to the 3rd. I’m thinking, Irvin and Mclellan (sp?) Would both be possibilities. Also, I wouldn’t mind seeing them move into the early 2nd, trading out of the 1st round if need be.
Funny you should mention that. I wrote this for the CheeseheadTV Draft Guide, but space limitations prevented it from being published:
“Packers move up 17 spots in the third round by trading their 3rd (91), 4th(123) and 5th(155) for Buffalo’s 3rd (74) and 7th (219). From a trade value chart standpoint, it’s practically equal value.”
I was envisioning something similar to the Morgan Burnett situation where someone they really like won’t be there late in the third round.
What can I say? Great minds think alike… Ahem, well if TT and co. Actually do this, then I guess we can have dome bragging rights.
Here’s to some draft day magic by TT. It will be interesting to see how this off season shakes out and how our 2012 Packers look on game day.
I think I want TT to help me pick my next wife.
He can help me stay disciplined in my approach, overcome the early temptation and avoid the really expensive ones that don’t pan out – they put out really well for a couple of years and then once they get that big contract, they turn into absolute humps and you wonder what it was that you saw in them in the first place that made you chase them.
I think his draft and develop approach will be spot on for this pursuit – you find hidden talent everyone else overlooked, they’re happy just to get a chance to be there and you get the opportunity to coach ’em up!
Savage,that is beautiful man! I can’t stop laughing. GoPack!
Depends on the ammount of cap space you have.
lol…
Nominating this for Comment of the Year.
I second the nomination…
You have my vote.
Unless he recommends that you marry AJ Hawk… In that case don’t listen to him!!! Run far far away as fast as you can… It will cost you about 6mil/yr and he doesn’t even have long beautiful locks anymore… O.o
Also lost Lee – do you think he’ll figure in? You know I’m kidding.
So does anyone know why compensatory picks can’t be traded? I can’t think of any competitive advantage a team could have by trading a compensatory pick, it’s essentially just a pick after all right?
The only thing I can remember hearing is the NFL not wanting a team to be completely negligent with players in an attempt to re-load with draft picks. Probably part of what the players union wants to promote fair treatment to players with large contracts.