Tag: Baltimore Ravens comp picks

Ravens on track to earn 1 compensatory pick in 2021 NFL Draft

The Baltimore Ravens have usually been great at gaming the compensatory pick formula but are currently on track to earn just one in 2021

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The Baltimore Ravens are one of the best teams at gaming the compensatory pick formula. Though the NFL had been handing out comp picks for two years before the Ravens came into existence, Baltimore has managed to lead in that department. Their 52 comp picks outpace the 43 selections the two teams tied for second (Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots) have earned. With the Ravens entering this offseason with 21 pending free agents, there was some hope Baltimore would once again top the league when the 2021 comp picks were handed out.

After more than a week of free agency, the Ravens actually haven’t earned as much as originally expected. According to Over The Cap, Baltimore is currently on track to earn a sixth-round pick back after calculating their additions and losses.

Part of the problem is actually a positive for the Ravens this offseason. Baltimore has done a great job of re-signing their own free agents, bringing back potential comp pick earners like cornerback Jimmy Smith, safety Chuck Clark and defensive end Jihad Ward. Re-signing their own players from a 14-2 team is a smart move but it limits what the Ravens can earn in comp picks.

Baltimore has also been aggressive this offseason, adding Calais Campbell and agreeing to terms with Michael Brockers. Yet, thanks to Campbell coming via a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars, it’s really only Brockers that is set to count against them currently. According to OTC, his addition will wipe out the loss of Michael Pierce, who signed a three-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings worth $27 million. That leaves — surprisingly enough — wide receiver Seth Roberts’ one-year deal as the only player set to earn the Ravens a comp pick.

Baltimore doesn’t have any free agents remaining that are expected to get big enough deals to earn any more comp picks. With a few major needs still remaining which could be remedied in free agency, the Ravens could easily be looking at a rare year where they don’t get any extra selections.

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Ravens earn 2 compensatory picks in 2020 NFL Draft

The Baltimore Ravens lost a wealth of talent last offseason and only get a third- and fourth-round compensatory picks in the 2020 NFL Draft

We now have the full 2020 NFL Draft order after the league announced the list of compensatory picks handed out. The Baltimore Ravens continued their tradition of gaming the system to get extra draft picks, earning third- and fourth-round selections in this year’s draft.

Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Ravens will gain the No. 106 (No. 42 in the third round) and the No. 143 (No. 37 in the fourth round) overall picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Though the Ravens earned two additional selections in the 2020 NFL Draft, it’s hard to see Baltimore as winners here.

The Ravens lost a lot of upper-end talent last offseason, seeing C.J. Mosley, Za’Darius Smith, Terrell Suggs and John Brown all leave in free agency. Both Mosley and Smith signed massive deals Baltimore simply couldn’t come close to matching, leaving huge holes on their defense that had to ultimately be filled with mid-season free-agent additions. Even though the Ravens finished with a 14-2 record, the lack of consistency at inside linebacker and any pass rush plagued the defense all season long.

Signing safety Earl Thomas and running back Mark Ingram canceled out two of their four losses on the compensatory pick formula. But there was hope Baltimore would still be in the running for at least one third-round selection to recoup from the massive losses of Smith and Mosley. However, Mosley missed all but two games last season with a groin injury, sending him to injured reserve in December.

It will be interesting to see if Baltimore changes its philosophy on compensatory picks after such a rough offseason. General manager Eric DeCosta has a tough decision with outside linebacker Matthew Judon, much like he had last offseason. After getting burned on comp picks, it could push DeCosta and the Ravens to trade Judon for a guaranteed pick if they feel they won’t be able to re-sign him instead of trying to match his value on the free-agent market. Of course, the franchise tag is also in play this offseason for Judon, which might give Baltimore enough leverage to re-sign him instead of letting it play out on the open market or through a trade.

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Ravens expected to have 2 compensatory picks in 2020 NFL Draft

The Baltimore Ravens lost key players last offseason but might have been hurt by the compensatory pick formula they’ve utilized so much

The Baltimore Ravens saw a good number of high-profile players leave the organization in free agency last offseason. Outside linebackers Za’Darius Smith and C.J. Mosley signed huge deals with other teams while the Ravens also lost legend Terrell Suggs, wide receiver John Brown. Baltimore seemed to be willing to let those guys go, both because they couldn’t reasonably match the offers handed out and because they’d get rewarded with compensatory picks.

According to Over The Cap, the Ravens will indeed get some comp picks in return, but maybe not at the levels they had been hoping. Thanks to the NFL’s compensatory-pick formula, Baltimore is set to get two fourth-round picks back.

The Ravens signed running back Mark Ingram and safety Earl Thomas in free agency, helping to negate the loss of Smith and Suggs in the formula. And with both Mosley missing games due to injury, it lowered his value from what many expected to be a third-round comp pick to the fourth round.

If Over The Cap’s valuations hold true, it’ll be a big blow to Baltimore in the 2020 NFL draft. The Ravens have loved to game the comp-pick system in previous years, factoring it into decisions on a player’s value to them. But in the case of Smith, Mosley and Suggs, Baltimore could have really used their presence in 2019 as they went on a 14-2 tear but failed to win in the postseason. Both inside and outside linebacker was a point of frustration for the Ravens, with injuries and poor play plaguing the team, forcing them to find free-agent help in the middle of the season.

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