The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have made one of the dramatic moves in NFL history last March with the signing of quarterback Tom Brady, but they also technically lost more than they gained in that 2020 free agency period. As such, they have been awarded a sixth-round compensatory pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Buccaneers now own eight total picks in April's draft, one in each of the first six rounds and two in the seventh.
On Wednesday, the NFL announced the addition of 36 compensatory picks to the 2021 draft, and the Buccaneers got one for the second year in a row. This time it is the first of 12 picks tacked onto the end of the sixth round, selection number 216 overall.
This is the 21st added selection overall that the Bucs have received through the compensatory process, which began with the first Collective Bargaining Agreement in 1993 and first awarded picks in 1994. It's also the third time in the last four years they've been awarded an extra pick.
The Buccaneers first qualified for a compensatory pick by losing more or better compensatory free agents (CFAs) than they gained last spring. Not all players signed qualify to be part of the formula. In Tampa Bay's case, Brady was the only player that qualified as a CFA gained while Beau Allen, Carl Nassib and Breshad Perriman all counted as CFAs lost. After that, the total number of compensatory picks and where they fall in the draft is determined by a formula that takes into account salary, playing time and postseason honors.
The Buccaneers actually qualified for a second compensatory pick under the formula but the league caps the number of added picks each year at 32. The picks are ranked by the formula and anyone that falls 33rd or later is not awarded, which was the case with the Bucs' second comp pick.
However, the league actually added 36 picks this year because four "special compensatory" selections went to four teams (New Orleans, San Francisco, Baltimore and the Los Angeles Rams) as part of a new system that awards picks for the loss of minority employees that were hired by other teams to serve as head coach or general manager.
This year's 36 added picks were spread out between 17 teams; Dallas topped the list with four added selections. However, the Rams arguably got the better haul with two added picks each at the end of the third round. Four of the 11 new picks at the end of the third round were the result of the new system that is designed to promote equal employment opportunities and an inclusive workforce and the Rams got one of each variety.
