Last offseason, the Ravens lost inside linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, outside linebacker Paul Kruger, safety Ed Reed and cornerback Cary Williams in free agency.
Now comes the payoff for Baltimore.
Owing to those departures, the Ravens will receive four compensatory picks in the 2014 draft, the NFL said Monday. The highest of those selections is a third-rounder (No. 99 overall). The Ravens will also receive a pair of fourth-round selections (Nos. 134, 138) and a fifth-round pick (No. 175).
Generally speaking, compensatory selections are non-tradeable draft slots given to teams who lost more free agents than they gained in the previous offseason. This is the second straight spring the Ravens have been given four compensatory picks.
The Jets also earned four 2014 compensatory selections: one in Round Four (No. 137) and three in Round Six (Nos. 209-210, 213). Defensive lineman Mike DeVito, safety LaRon Landry and offensive guard Matt Slauson were among the Jets’ 2013 free agent departures.
The highest compensatory pick went to Pittsburgh, which was given the No. 97 selection in Round Three. The Steelers lost four 2013 free agents included in the NFL’s compensatory formula, including wideout Mike Wallace and cornerback Keenan Lewis.
In addition to Pittsburgh and Baltimore, Green Bay (No. 98) and San Francisco (No. 100) were also given third-round picks.
All told, 13 teams received at least one compensatory pick, and we’ve compiled the full list of selections. It’s just one data set of many to be used when weighing the costs and benefits of free agency.