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Cheerleader auditions Given their active approach to free agency in 2014, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn't expect any help from the compensatory draft system in 2015. At least they learned where all of their current picks will be slotted.
Each year, the NFL awards 32 extra draft picks, spreading them out among teams that lost "more or better compensatory free agents" the year before. This year, 14 teams have received additional selections, beginning with picks for New England, Kansas City and Cincinnati between the third and fourth rounds.
The procedure that leads to the awarding of compensatory picks is a bit mysterious. The league describes it as thus: "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."
That said, it was pretty obvious the formula wasn't going to be spitting out any extra picks for the Bucs after they signed a large number of unrestricted free agents in 2015. New England got the top compensatory pick after watching RB LeGarrette Blount, LB Dane Fletcher, LB Brandon Spikes and CB Aqib Talib leave in free agency while signing CB Brandon Browner and WR Brandon LaFell.
Even though only 14 teams shared in the largesse of Monday's compensatory pick announcement, all 32 squads at least gained some information. With the extra picks added in, all 256 selections for 2015 are set in stone. That affects five of the eight choices the Bucs currently own.
Tampa Bay already knew that its first three picks were slotted for #1 in the first round, #34 in the second round and #65 in the third round. Now the last five picks are slotted as well. Here is where the Bucs are currently scheduled to select in this year's draft:
|
Round |
Pick in Round |
Overall Pick |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
2 |
2 |
34 |
|
3 |
1 |
65 |
|
4 |
10* |
109 |
|
5 |
26^ |
162 |
|
5 |
32 |
168 |
|
6 |
8* |
184 |
|
7 |
1 |
218 |
** from St. Louis
^ from Baltimore
from New England
*Denver, Kansas City and Seattle all led the way with four compensatory picks this season. Baltimore and Houston got three each, and that continues a trend for the Ravens, who have been awarded a total of 44 compensatory picks since the system began in 1993. That is by far the league's highest total, with Green Bay second at 35 compensatory picks. The Bucs have received a total of 18 compensatory picks through the years, the highest one a fourth-rounder in 1997 that resulted in linebacker Alshermond Singleton, a starter on the 2002 Super Bowl Championship team.
