Let’s set the record straight on potential Ravens Compensatory Picks

With today’s news that OT Jared Gaither has signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, the large number – 12 to be exact – of free agents who have departed Baltimore has many Ravens fans dreaming of multiple Compensatory Draft Picks in next April’s draft.

However, based on the Comp Pick rules, it is seems unlikely that the Ravens will get any more than one (1) Comp Pick. 

The key issue in determining Comp Picks, is how many qualifying UFAs did a team lose versus how many were sign?  This first blush issue does not take into account the size of contracts of the players lost or gained.   

If a team has lost more qualifying UFAs than they’ve signed, then the team will be awarded Comp Picks for the difference in those two numbers (up to a maximum of 4). Only in rare occasions are teams awarded a Comp Pick when they have lost and gained the same number of UFAs.  In such a case, the team is only awarded one (1) 7th round Comp Pick, and only if the sizes of the combined contracts lost greatly outweighs the total of those signed.

Also, any player released by a team does not count as a loss or gain for Comp Pick purposes.  So, for the Ravens, that means that the “losses” of Willis McGahee, Todd Heap, Derrick Mason and Kelly Gregg do not factor into the Comp Pick calculation.

So, as of right now, for the Ravens, they’ve lost 4 (Dawan Landry, Chris Chester, Josh Wilson and Le’Ron McClain) and signed 3 (Vonta Leach, Ricky Williams and Bernard Pollard).   Those appear to be the only “qualifying” UFAs for Comp Pick purposes, leaving the Ravens with just one (1) Comp pick. 

Jared Gaither may factor in (depending on the terms of his deal), thus adding another Comp Pick to the Ravens’ tally, but it’s unlikely that Donte Stallworth, Tony Moll or Fabian Washington will factor in because they signed 1-year deals of less than $900K (unless there was some unreported bonus money involved). 

In the past, deals that small have not factored into the equation, unless the player’s “performance” (based on starts and post-season honors) pushes those deals into the “qualifying” category.  Other than Gaither, it would not appear to be likely that any of those players will be major contributors to their new teams.

As far as the one (1) Comp pick that the Ravens are presently likely to receive goes, each of the qualifying players will be assigned a Comp pick round based on the yearly average of their new contract (and that round may be adjusted down for lack of playing time or up for post season honors).  Those Comp picks will then be compared to see who most closely cancels who and then the Ravens will be awarded a Comp pick based on the one pick that would not have been cancelled. 

Right now, it would appear that Dawan Landry would be that player giving the Ravens a 4th round Comp Pick.