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Another Bengal leaves, Compensatory bound?

By Josh Kirkendall

The Bengals have lost five free agents with Kevin Kaesviharn bailing for the Big Easy.

  1. Eric Steinbach
  2. Marcus Wilkins
  3. Tony Stewart
  4. Kelley Washington
  5. Kevin Kaesviharn

Losing more players to other teams than acquiring, from other teams, means that the Bengals have a realistic shot at picking up a compensatory pick in next year's draft.

Compensatory picks are awarded to teams that lose more unrestricted free agents than they sign (players who are cut do not factor into the equation). The highest selection a team can get as compensation is a pick at the end of the third round.

The formula by which comp picks are awarded is a more closely guarded secret than the recipe for the Colonel's greasy chicken. Even NFL teams don't know it. But the picks are determined by the difference of the contracts signed by the players lost and the players acquired, as well as by the performances of the players. At least part of the formula is subjective.

If the Bengals are eligible for a compensatory draft pick, they wouldn't get it until 2008... from my understanding.

A team is eligible to receive compensatory draft picks if it is determined that they lost more or better players than they were able to acquire during the previous year's free agency period. The number of picks a team receives equals the net loss of compensatory free agents (maximum of four).

Compensatory free agents are determined by a formula that was developed by the NFL Management Council. Not every free agent lost or signed by a team is covered by this formula.

Losing Steinbach to the Browns, and understanding that the team is all but finished in free agency, there stands a chance the team could pick up a third round compensatory pick in 2008. Look, that's better than nothing.

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