No Compensatory Picks for Green & White

Those of you attuned to such things probably already heard that the Jets received no compensatory choices in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Thirty-two compensatories were awarded to 16 teams at the NFL owners' meetings in Dana Point, Calif. The reason some teams get "comps" and others don't is complicated, as we all know. Here is part of the league's explanation of the system from the release it issued Tuesday:

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 today 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. *

Key phrases in the above three graphs:

"losing more or better" — Better, sez who? The NFL Management Council, which in Graph 3 explains that compensatory free agents are determined by a formula based on three criteria. The league doesn't go into details about the formula. It's one of those things that football fans have to take on faith.

"in the previous year"— This year's compensatories are awarded based not on this year's free agency transactions but last year's FA deals. Considering that the Jets signed five mostly big-ticket UFAs — G Alan Faneca, LB Calvin Pace, FB Tony Richardson, T Damien Woody and RB Jesse Chatman — while losing four mostly lesser FAs of their own — S Erik Coleman, LB Victor Hobson, OL Wade Smith and TE Sean Ryan — it was no surprise that the Jets got no comps again.

In fact, since the system of compensating teams that lost free agents with draft picks began in 1994, the Jets are close behind Cleveland for receiving the fewest compensatory picks. in those 16 years. The Jets have received only five picks; the Browns have gotten only one, but they also were dormant for three seasons in the late Nineties. The Houston Texans, who began life in 2002, have had three picks.

Here are the five compensatory picks the Jets have received since 1994 and whom they selected:

The awarding of the compensatories does impact the Jets, though, in that it pushes down and firms up the positions of the three of their six picks in Rounds 4-7. Here is the revised list of Jets picks in the draft, which as of today is one month away:

Discuss who you think the Jets should pick in our 2009 Draft Forum.