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Since the NFL began granting compensatory choices in 1994 to teams that lose more free agents than they sign, no team has employed the compensatory choice system more successfully than the Ravens. And the Ravens’ latest move shows once again how they do it.
The Ravens agreed to the terms of free guard Kevin Zeitler, but Zeitler does not count for the compensatory choice formula. That’s because Zeitler was cut by the Giants, and players only count for compensatory choices if they become unrestricted free agents when their contracts expire, and not if they’re dismissed by their previous teams.
The Ravens made no secret of the fact that they wanted to reinforce their offensive line this off-season, but they did not want to do so by signing one of the many unrestricted free agents that will hit the market on Wednesday, because those all players will count towards the choice formula. compensatory measures. Zeitler is perfect for the Ravens because he doesn’t count.
Baltimore is likely to lose some players who officially became free agents this week, and next year they will receive compensatory choices for those defeats. Since the compensatory choice system began, Baltimore has received a total of 53 compensatory choices, by far the largest in the NFL. Both former general manager Ozzie Newsome and current general manager Eric DeCosta deserve credit for the way they discovered the compensatory selection system, better than any other team.