A total of 32 compensatory choices in the 2009 NFL Draft have been awarded to 16 teams, including four each to Cincinnati and Tennessee, the NFL announced on Monday.
Under terms of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, 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 Monday will supplement the 224 choices in the seven rounds of the 2009 NFL Draft (April 25-26). This year, the compensatory picks will be positioned within the third through seventh rounds based on the value of the compensatory free agents lost.
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.
One club this year (Arizona) will receive a compensatory pick even though it did not suffer a net loss of compensatory free agents last year. Under the formula, the compensatory free agents Arizona lost were ranked higher than the ones it signed (by a specified point differential based upon salary and performance).
Thirty compensatory picks were awarded to clubs based upon the compensatory pick formula. By rule, two additional choices were awarded at the end of the seventh round to bring the total number of compensatory selections to 32, equaling the number of NFL clubs. The two additional picks were awarded to Detroit and Kansas City based upon the 2009 draft selection order. (Note: St. Louis and Kansas City finished 2008 with identical records. St. Louis chooses second in all odd rounds and Kansas City chooses second in all even rounds. Once compensatory picks have been awarded according to the formula, draft selection order is followed to assign any remaining picks, and for this purpose, the assignment of the pick is made as if it were the eighth round, so Kansas City is awarded the choice.)
Following are the compensatory free agents lost and signed last year by the clubs that will receive compensatory picks in the 2009 NFL Draft:
Arizona Cardinals
Lost: Bryant Johnson, Calvin Pace, Keydrick Vincent
Signed: Clark Haggans, Travis LaBoy, Bryan Robinson
Total compensatory picks: 1
Chicago Bears
Lost: Brendon Ayanbadejo, Bernard Berrian, John Gilmore
Total compensatory picks: 3
Cincinnati Bengals
Lost: Landon Johnson, Bryan Robinson, Justin Smith, Alex Stepanovich, Madieu Williams
Signed: Antwan Odom
Total compensatory picks: 4
Dallas Cowboys
Lost: Julius Jones, Jacques Reeves
Total compensatory picks: 2
Indianapolis Colts
Lost: Jake Scott
Total compensatory picks: 1
Jacksonville Jaguars
Lost: Terry Cousin, Aaron Glenn, Sammy Knight, Bobby McCray, Ernest Wilford
Signed:Drayton Florence, Cleo Lemon, Jerry Porter
Total compensatory picks: 2
New England Patriots
Lost: Randall Gay, Asante Samuel, Donte' Stallworth
Total compensatory picks: 3
New York Giants
Lost: Kawika Mitchell, Reggie Torbor, Gibril Wilson
Signed: Danny Clark, Sammy Knight
Total compensatory picks: 1
Pittsburgh Steelers
Lost: Alan Faneca, Clark Haggans
Signed: Mewelde Moore
Total compensatory picks: 1
San Diego Chargers
Lost:Drayton Florence, Michael Turner
Total compensatory picks: 2
San Francisco 49ers
Lost: Marques Douglas, Kwame Harris, Maurice Hicks, Justin Smiley
Signed: Bryant Johnson, Justin Smith
Total compensatory picks: 2
Seattle Seahawks
Lost: Kevin Bentley, Josh Brown, Chuck Darby, D.J. Hackett, Niko Koutouvides, Ellis Wyms
Signed: Keary Colbert (acquired via trade from Denver), T.J. Duckett, Julius Jones
Total compensatory picks: 3
Tennessee Titans
Lost: Jacob Bell, Chris Brown, Ben Hartsock, Travis LaBoy, Antwan Odom, Randy Starks
Signed: Jake Scott
Total compensatory picks: 4
Washington Redskins
Lost: Mark Brunell
Total compensatory picks: 1
