The Ravens received only a sixth-round compensatory pick in the 2018 draft after many had anticipated a third-round selection for the free-agent departure of offensive tackle Rick Wagner last offseason.
This marks only the second time since 2010 that Baltimore will not have multiple compensatory picks in the draft. The maximum number of compensatory picks allotted to a team in a single year is four as Cincinnati, Dallas, Green Bay, and Oakland all reached the maximum for the 2018 draft.
Entering his final season as general manager, Newsome will have a total of eight selections — his regular choice in each round as well as the extra sixth-round pick at 215th overall — in this year’s draft. Last year was the first time teams were permitted to trade compensatory picks and Baltimore took advantage, sending its third-round selection and defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan to Philadelphia in exchange for the Eagles’ third-round pick used on defensive end Chris Wormley.
The Ravens lost Wagner, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, defensive end Lawrence Guy, wide receiver Kamar Aiken, and offensive lineman Vladimir Ducasse as unrestricted free agents and signed unrestricted free agents Tony Jefferson, Brandon Carr, and Danny Woodhead last offseason. That resulted in a net loss of two, but the small Ducasse deal did not qualify for the maximum of 32 compensatory picks awarded, leaving the Ravens with only one selection.
Wagner signed a five-year, $47.5 million contract with the Detroit Lions, which left him on the border of fetching either a third- or fourth-round pick for Baltimore. However, a three-game absence with an ankle injury likely dropped him to the fourth-round territory, the same tier as Jefferson’s four-year, $34 million contract to cancel out a potential fourth-round choice for the Ravens.
Determinations for compensatory picks are based on a formula considering the salary, playing time, and postseason honors earned by unrestricted free agents who left their teams the previous offseason.
Nick Korte of OverTheCap.com broke it down nicely here:
Ravens fans: here is Baltimore’s updated 2018 compensatory pick cancellation chart that explains why they only got a 6th round pick for Lawrence Guy.
The 7th for Ducasse missed the 32 pick limit. pic.twitter.com/SslflBvuXW— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) February 23, 2018
Since the compensatory pick program started in 1994, the Ravens have led the NFL in receiving 49 compensatory choices as the organization has frequently resisted signing unrestricted free agents over the years while losing many of their own. Green Bay is second with 42 compensatory picks over that same period of time.
Below is a history of the Ravens’ compensatory picks since 1996 with the round in which the player was selected noted in parentheses:
1996: none
1997: LB Cornell Brown (sixth), QB Wally Richardson (seventh), S Ralph Staten (seventh), DT Leland Taylor (seventh)
1998: TE Cam Qualey (seventh)
1999: G Edwin Mulitalo (fourth)
2000: none
2001: none
2002: WR Javin Hunter (sixth), RB Chester Taylor (sixth), S Chad Williams (sixth)
2003: FB Ovie Mughelli (fourth), OT Tony Pashos (fifth), C Mike Mabry (seventh), S Antwoine Sanders (seventh)
2004: WR Clarence Moore (sixth), WR Derek Abney (seventh), G Brian Rimpf (seventh)
2005: QB Derek Anderson (sixth)
2006: RB P.J. Daniels (fourth), TE Quinn Sypniewski (fifth), P Sam Koch (sixth), CB Derrick Martin (sixth)
2007: LB Antwan Barnes (fourth), FB Le’Ron McClain (fourth), QB Troy Smith (fifth), LB Prescott Burgess (sixth)
2008: OL Oniel Cousins (third), OL David Hale (fourth), S Haruki Nakamura (sixth), RB Allen Patrick (seventh)
2009: none
2010: none
2011: CB Chykie Brown (fifth), DE Pernell McPhee (fifth)
2012: S Christian Thompson (fourth), CB Asa Jackson (fifth)
2013: FB Kyle Juszczyk (fourth), OT Rick Wagner (fifth), OL Ryan Jensen (sixth), CB Marc Anthony (seventh)
2014: TE Crockett Gillmore (third), DE Brent Urban (fourth), RB Lorenzo Taliaferro (fourth), G John Urschel (fifth)
2015: CB Tray Walker (fourth), TE Nick Boyle (fifth), G Robert Myers (fifth)
2016: DT Willie Henry (fourth), RB Kenneth Dixon (fourth), CB Maurice Canady (sixth)
2017: Traded third-round compensatory pick and DT Timmy Jernigan for Philadelphia’s third-round pick used to select DE Chris Wormley
