When the NFL's compensatory picks were awarded on Monday everything went according to expectations, unless you were the Pittsburgh Steelers.While the NFL gave out four third-round picks and four fourth rounders, it determined that losing Alan Faneca and Clark Haggans (countered by the signing of Mewelde Moore) was only worth a fifth-round pick for the Steelers.
The guru of compensatory picks, AdamJT13, is baffled as he calls it the one pick that doesn't make sense in this year's comp picks.The NFL's formula for determining comp picks has never been divulged, although it's a combination of the free agent's new salary, his playing time and how successful he was with his new team. Add all that up and it's pretty shocking that Faneca ended up only being worth a fifth-round pick. He signed a deal worth nearly $8 million a year (second largest of all the offseason deals), he played nearly every snap for the Jets and he was named to the Pro Bowl, all of which points to him earning a third-round pick.
In comparison, Justin Smith earned a third-round pick for the Bengals after he signed a $7 million-a-year deal with the 49ers, played 16 games and was solid if unspectacular. Bernard Berrian's $6.9 million a year deal with the Vikings was also worth a third-round pick for the Bears, although he wasn't anywhere close to the Pro Bowl.
The only logical explanation that comes to mind is that Moore's performance (four starts, 588 yards) was enough to lead the NFL to downgrade the compensation that the Steelers got for Faneca, but it's hard to find another equivalent example where that happened.



















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-24-2009 @ 12:25AM
checka624 said...
nothing the NFL does anymore makes sense.
Reply
3-24-2009 @ 12:25AM
bears0492 said...
Badass. Bernard Berrian was a 3rd round pick, he helped us out a few years, and then we basically get a 3rd round pick for him.
Pretty good deal.
The steelers and Falcons (Michael Turner only got them a 4th rounder) got gypped. The bengals got picks that were too high.
Reply
3-24-2009 @ 12:38AM
junglefever0405 said...
whaa whaa squealers!
Reply
3-24-2009 @ 8:21AM
skins2win said...
Boo hoo, we won the Super Bowl but we are getting screwed on compensatory picks boo hoo.
TYPICAL!
Reply
3-24-2009 @ 1:25PM
big rando said...
i haven't heard any steelers complaining about anything. this is a writer making an observation. you are an idiot
3-24-2009 @ 9:06AM
robb1068 said...
The NFL's formula for determining comp picks has never been divulged, although it's a combination of the free agent's new salary, his playing time, how successful he was with his new team and the number of hookers that appear at NFL headquarters this time of year with Boston accents.
Reply
3-24-2009 @ 11:18AM
steel wheel said...
Now where were the idiots that said the Steelers' success was a conspiracy? The fools that said Pittsburgh gets all the perks? The morons that said the Rooney's owned this league? Yeah, see even the Burgh gets the short end of the stick...so crammit with the conspiracy, deep pocketed NFL crap! If anyone is paying for success its the f**kin Cheat-triots...3rd rounder for what they lost is a crime.
Reply
3-24-2009 @ 11:30AM
ajinthematrix8 said...
I dont understand how the broncos dont get one for losing one of the best kickers in the league. Jason Elam signed a deal that made him the 2nd or 3rd highest paid kicker in the league, and he played extremely well for the falcons. meanwhile the broncos kicking game went to hell. I wasnt expecting much, but it would have been nice to get an extra late round pick
Reply
3-24-2009 @ 2:32PM
Viz-Burgh said...
THANK YOU for pointing this out. AdamJT's predictions are always very accurate & he has no explanation as to why Faneca would only net a 5th round comp pick. Every other pick follows the formulas that he's honed over the years. Is it too much to ask for an explanation from the league on this? And why should this formula be secret anyway? Complex, yes, I get that. But secret? Ridiculous.
Reply
3-24-2009 @ 2:50PM
woodnnicholsla said...
skins2win ....idiot,rob1068.....idiot
Reply
3-25-2009 @ 12:06PM
CaptCuervoWV said...
The Steelers got jobbed on this one. Should have been a 3rd rounder and i could have lived with a 4th, but a 5th? Awful, just awful. Faneca is athe highest paid Guard in football and made a pro bowl. Goodell's such a prick.
Reply