The NFL announced the awarding of Compensatory Draft Choices today, giving out 32 picks to 15 different franchises. Of those, none were given to the Miami Dolphins.
The league can award each team a total of four compensatory picks, based on the net loss of free agents from the year before. Essentially, if a free agent (not a cut player) signs with another team, then performs well for that team, a compensatory pick could be awarded to the player's previous. However, it is balanced with free agents signed by that previous team, and how they performed during the year.
The Dolphins have received 15 compensatory picks since the program started in 1994.
The entire press release, along with all the teams awarded picks, and the free agents for whom they were awarded those picks, is below.
NFL Announces 32 Compensatory Draft Choices to 15 Clubs
A total of 32 compensatory choices in the 2012 NFL Draft have been awarded to 15 teams, the NFL announced today.
Under the rules for compensatory draft selections, 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 221 choices in the seven rounds of the 2012 NFL Draft (April 26-28), which will kick off in primetime for the third consecutive year.
The first round will be held on Thursday, April 26 and begin at 8:00 PM ET. The second and third rounds are set for Friday, April 27 at 7:00 PM ET followed by rounds 4-7 on Saturday, April 28 at Noon ET.
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.
Three clubs this year (Atlanta, San Diego and Buffalo) will each receive a compensatory pick even though they did not suffer a net loss of compensatory free agents last year. Under the formula, the compensatory free agents lost by these clubs were ranked higher than the ones they signed (by a specified point differential based upon salary and performance).
Thirty compensatory picks were awarded to clubs based upon the compensatory pick formula. By rule, two additional choices were awarded at the end of the seventh round to bring the total number of compensatory selections to 32, equaling the number of NFL clubs. The two additional picks were awarded to St. Louis and Indianapolis based upon the 2012 draft selection order.
The following 2012 compensatory draft picks have been determined by the NFL Management Council:
:
ROUND CHOICE/
ROUND
OVERALL SELECTION
TEAM
33-95
Oakland
4
33-128
Minnesota
34-129
Oakland
35-130
Baltimore
36-131
37-132
Green Bay
38-133
Green Bay
39-134
Minnesota
40-135
Dallas
5
33-168
Oakland
34-169
Baltimore
35-170
Indianapolis
6
33-202
34-203
New York Jets
35-204
Cleveland
36-205
Cleveland
37-206
Indianapolis
38-207
Carolina
7
33-240
Pittsburgh
34-241
Green Bay
35-242
New York Jets
36-243
Green Bay
37-244
New York Jets
38-245
Cleveland
39-246
Pittsburgh
40-247
Cleveland
41-248
Pittsburgh
42-249
Atlanta
43-250
San Diego
44-251
Buffalo
45-252
St. Louis
46-253
Indianapolis
Following are the compensatory free agents lost and signed last year by the clubs that will receive compensatory picks in the 2012 NFL Draft:
ATLANTA
Lost:
Harvey Dahl, Michael Koenen
Signed:
Ray Edwards, Reggie Kelly
BALTIMORE
Lost:
Chris Chester, Dawan Landry, Le'Ron McClain, Donte' Stallworth, Josh Wilson
Signed:
Vonta Leach, Bernard Pollard, Ricky Williams
BUFFALO
Lost:
Paul Posluszny, Donte Whitner
Signed:
Brad Smith, Tyler Thigpen
CAROLINA
Lost:
Jeff King, Richard Marshall, Matt Moore
Signed:
Ron Edwards, Olindo Mare
CLEVELAND
Lost:
Abram Elam, Matt Roth, Chansi Stuckey, Jason Trusnik, Lawrence Vickers, Floyd Womack, Eric Wright
Signed:
Brandon Jackson, Dimitri Patterson, Usama Young
DALLAS
Lost:
Stephen Bowen, Sam Hurd
Signed:
Abram Elam
GREEN BAY
Lost:
Daryn Colledge, Korey Hall, Brandon Jackson, Cullen Jenkins, Jason Spitz
INDIANAPOLIS
Lost:
Charlie Johnson, Clint Session
MINNESOTA
Lost:
Ray Edwards, Ben Leber, Tarvaris Jackson, Sidney Rice
Signed:
Remi Ayodele, Charlie Johnson
NEW YORK GIANTS
Lost:
Kevin Boss, Barry Cofield, Steve Smith
Signed:
David Baas, Steve Weatherford
NEW YORK JETS
Lost:
Drew Coleman, Braylon Edwards, Shaun Ellis, Brad Smith, Steve Weatherford
OAKLAND
Lost:
Nnamdi Asomugha, Robert Gallery, Bruce Gradkowski, Zach Miller, Thomas Howard
Signed:
Kevin Boss, Stephen Heyer
PITTSBURGH
Lost:
Nick Eason, Keyaron Fox, Matt Spaeth
SAN DIEGO
Lost:
Kevin Burnett, Darren Sproles
Signed:
Travis LaBoy, Takeo Spikes
TOTAL 2012 NFL COMPENSATORY DRAFT PICKS
Cleveland
4
Green Bay
4
New York Jets
4
Indianapolis
3
Oakland
3
Pittsburgh
3
Baltimore
2
Minnesota
2
Atlanta
1
Buffalo
1
Carolina
1
Dallas
1
New York Giants
1
St. Louis
1
San Diego
1
TOTAL
32
NFL CLUB SUMMARY OF COMPENSATORY DRAFT PICKS, 1994-2012 *
Arizona
16
Atlanta
11
Baltimore
33
Buffalo
26
Carolina
14
Chicago
17
Cincinnati
18
Cleveland
6
Dallas
30
Denver
9
Detroit
15
Green Bay
30
Houston
4
Indianapolis
19
Jacksonville
19
Kansas City
13
Miami
15
Minnesota
17
New England
26
New Orleans
10
NY Giants
21
NY Jets
9
Oakland
16
Philadelphia
29
Pittsburgh
25
St. Louis **
27
San Diego
18
San Francisco
19
Seattle
18
Tampa Bay
18
Tennessee ***
27
Washington
12
TOTAL
587
* 1994 was the first year that compensatory draft choices were awarded.
** St. Louis picks include those awarded to Los Angeles Rams.
*** Tennessee picks include those awarded to Houston Oilers.