With the 2018 NFL season over, it’s time to go back three years and identify some teams that used 2016 free agency wisely or poorly with respect to the compensatory pick formula in 2017. For reference, you may find the list of the 2017 compensatory picks awarded here, and the cancellation charts for all 32 teams here. (Select the 2017 tabs on both pages.)
The Bills likely did not anticipate having their 6th rounder for Bradham canceled out by Alexander, who at the time was on a minimum salary benefit contract. But the production that they have received from Alexander in the past three seasons (73.4% participation in the defensive snaps that includes 22 sacks) likely makes them content with that tradeoff. Alexander has since then signed two extensions with the Bills.
Before training camp, this cancellation chart looked far different for the Patriots. Likely seeing a year in which the team was not likely to make going for compensatory picks worth it, New England had also signed Terrance Knighton, Clay Harbor, Nate Washington, and Markus Kuhn as compensatory free agents. However, all of those players except for Harbor failed to make it out of training camp, and perhaps seeing a 5th rounder for Hicks in range, Harbor only made it to Week 4. Then again, the ending might not have been entirely happy for New England: Hicks has turned into a Pro Bowl player for the Bears, while the two players they turned the 5th round comp pick for him into via trade (James O’Shaughnessy and Conor McDermott) also failed to make it out of training camp. With full hindsight, the Patriots probably wish they had just kept Hicks.
The Jets were very mindful of the compensatory formula rule that CFAs will be removed from consideration if they are cut before Week 10. They did exactly this with Jarvis Jenkins to get a 3rd rounder for Harrison, and then via trade turned that comp pick into three draft selections. Unfortunately for the Jets, Chad Hansen lasted only one season, while Jeremy Clark and Derrick Jones have not even yet contributed on special teams. Getting more shots at the draft is usually a good thing, but you can still miss with those shots.
In Sashi Brown’s first offseason as Browns GM, he started it off by heavily emphasizing compensatory pick acquisition. The problem with that strategy? Brown let some really good players walk. With their new teams, Mack and Schwartz have had multiple All-Pro honors, Gipson and Benjamin were regular contributors, while Bademosi and Robertson have been good special teamers. As for the four comp picks the Browns got, the 3rd was traded for Jamie Collins, both 4ths were gobbled up in multiple trades that ultimately contributed to the selection of Denzel Ward in 2018, and the 5th rounder, also part of a trade, was used on Roderick Johnson, who only spent one year in Cleveland.
The primary goal of preserving a 3rd rounder for Beachum was achieved. But the Steelers likely regret the two CFAs they did sign. Green was cut after one season due to an array of injuries that the team may not have fully vetted. Harris also spent most of 2016 on IR after coming over from the defending Super Bowl champion Broncos, and then retired after that season.
The Osweiler signing was of course a spectacular disaster for the Texans. But neither Allen nor Bergstrom stuck long with the Texans either. Had the Texans restrained their CFA signings to just Miller, they could have had a 4th round comp pick for Brooks, who is still on his contract with his new team, as is Jones.
The Broncos canceled out their potential 3rd rounder for Osweiler for a player in Okung that lasted only one season in Denver. But in the end, the Broncos merely deferred that comp pick, as they got a 3rd for Okung the next draft when they let him go to the Chargers. The bigger mistake by far by the Broncos was signing Stephenson, who made up part of a terrible right tackle rotation during his time in Denver.
The Seahawks did well for the top of their CFAs lost, but they could have done better to get comp picks for all of them. Sowell and Webb contributed mightily to the offensive line woes that Seattle sustained in 2016. Making matters worse is that the Seahawks cut Webb Week 12, two weeks too late for him not to count against their ledger in the compensatory formula.
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