Packers receive pair of 6th-round compensatory picks
PHOENIX – The Green Bay Packers came into some extra draft picks on Monday.
After losing three unrestricted free agents last offseason, the Packers have been given two sixth-round compensatory picks in this year's NFL draft. Those selections, Nos. 210 and 212, will be added to the seven others general manager Ted Thompson will have at his disposal for a total of nine.
Compensatory picks are awarded based on a team's net losses in free agency the previous year. They're also untradeable. Since the Packers often sit out of unrestricted free agency, Thompson has been able to capitalize with 15 extra selections since he took over as GM in 2005.
The Packers received the compensation to offset the loss of center Evan Dietrich-Smith and receiver James Jones. Dietrich-Smith signed a four-year, $14.25 million contract with Tampa Bay. Jones agreed to a three-year, $11.3 million deal with the Oakland Raiders.
The Packers lost two reserves in tackle Marshall Newhouse (Cincinnati) and defensive lineman C.J. Wilson (Oakland), but both signed nominal one-year agreements with their respective club. Wilson didn't garner a pick and Newhouse wasn't factored into the equation.
The Packers lost four unrestricted free agents last offseason and didn't sign anyone else's. Their two veteran signings, Julius Peppers and Letroy Guion, didn't count towards the compensatory equation because they were previously released from their former team.
When asked about the compensatory process earlier Monday, Thompson said it's a byproduct of how the team conducts its offseason business, but not the priority.
"I don't think you base a whole lot of your decision making on that," Thompson said. "It's sort of an added bonus, something you didn't expect that you can get. That's how we look at it. We never even try to figure out how many we're going to get or where they're going to be or anything like that just because it's almost impossible to do."
Since 1994, the Packers have received 35 compensatory picks. Second only to the Ravens (44).
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Thompson's compensatory selections
2006: T Tony Moll (fifth round, 165th overall), DE Dave Tollefson (seventh, 253)
2007: TE Clark Harris (seventh, 243)
2008: G Josh Sitton (fourth, 135)
2009: None
2010: OL Marshall Newhouse (fifth, 169)
2011: CB Davon House (fourth, 131)
2012: DT Mike Daniels (fourth, 132), S Jerron McMillian (fourth, 133), OL Andrew Datko (seventh, 241), QB B.J. Coleman (seventh, 243)
2013: DL Josh Boyd (fifth, 167)
2014: TE Richard Rodgers (third, 98), WR Jared Abbrederis (fifth, 176)