Originally Posted by
Patler
Are you seriously asking, or being sarcastic? (Voice inflection is difficult to interpret through written words!)
Strictly speaking, if you lose more UFAs than you sign, you should receive compensation for the difference. Also strictly speaking, if you sign as many as you lose, regardless of contract size, you will not receive compensation. In reality, it has not always worked out that way, and determining the level of compensation has been sort of a balancing act:
(# and quality of UFAs lost) - (# and quality of UFAs signed)
This year they lost two who signed large contracts indicating high quality (supposedly, playing time and post season honors also are factors in the calculation). Theoretically they will get two draft picks, both of which should be toward the higher end of the awardable picks. If the Packers had signed an UFA to a similar contract, it would likely would have offset one they lost and the net result would have been just one pick to the Packers.
It sometimes gets muddled, because rules require that 32 picks be doled out, no more, no less. If there are insufficient FA signings for compensation, the remaining picks are to be awarded in order of draft priority. I don't think that has ever happened. What does sometimes happen is that picks are lowered based on signings. If the Packers lost House and Williams but signed two real low level UFAs, they might have gotten one or two low round picks instead of the higher ones they are likely to get after signing no one.
What also seems to happen sometimes is that a team who has a net loss of 3 or 4 players receives fewer but higher picks than you might expect. For example, if there was a net loss of 4 that you thought might be worth 2 sixth and 2 seventh round picks, they might get 3 in the sixth, instead. It all depends on how active the market was, because only 32 picks can be awarded.
Not all losses are subject to compensation, and the league has never explained where the cutoff is. I think it varies from year to year, depending on how active the FA market was, so they can award the 32 picks. However, historically an UFA who signs a one-year minimum contract has not be compensated for, so the Packers will get nothing for the loss of Jamarii Lattimore.
Long and short of it is that if you sign a decent unrestricted free agent, it is likely to lower or eliminate a compensatory pick you might have otherwise received for a free agent you lost.