Bengals 2012 Draft Order

The Cincinnati Bengals dealt Linebacker Keith Rivers to the Giants for the 167th overall pick Wednesday. Grabbing something for player that was most likely going to be cut. Rivers became expendable when the Bengals re-signed Manny Lawson last week and the Giants felt the addition was well worth such a late round pick.

The Bengals now have 3 extra picks from other NFL teams and look to be able to add a solid core of players through the the draft. Fans are bent out of shape for the team not going after more free agents, but you need to remember that despite Cincinnati  making a first round playoff appearance, they are in a rebuilding mode.

The QB to WR rookie combo will improve next year, but after a winning season the team is about to face a much more difficult schedule. The Bengals have a terrible track record for ruining NFL draft wealth, but in the last few seasons the Bengals have shown steps that they are learning to play the off-season game much better.

This trade may be minor, but Bengal fans need to at least acknowledge the fact that 5 years ago they would have just cut Rivers, without any success of making a trade and adding a draft pick.

Fantasy Football:

These guys are no joke.

In fact, there is nothing funny about the exploits of rookie phenom Andy Dalton throwing to his bread and butter first year receiver (and mega overachiever) A.J. Green. To say they are a force to be reckoned with, is perhaps the grossest, most un-humorous understatement of the year.

As the Bengals march their way toward a potential playoff berth in what is perhaps the toughest division in pro-football, they are poised to do so while riding on the shoulders of their two brand new off-season acquisitions, Dalton and Green.

If this team can somehow make it into the post-season, it would be just their third playoff appearance in the last 21 years. Yes, this city is hungry for a winner, and no, they aren’t laughing about that either.

These two are on pace to break the record for touchdowns between a rookie quarterback and wide receiver combo (9), held by Jim Plunkett and Randy Vataha set in 1971.

Dalton and Green have accomplished some remarkable things in their first year playing big boy football. They have been praised by their peers, commentators, and fans alike. They have actually warranted positive attention in a city that hasn’t seen a professional championship since the Reds won it all in 1990. Cincinnati residents, commence snarling now.

When did the Bengals last win it all? They haven’t. In fact, they’ve only had two Super Bowl appearances in their history, both losses to the 49ers. The last time they were in the big game, Boomer Esiason was their starting quarterback.
Ask a Bengal fan how funny that is.

This 2011 Cincinnati Bengal campaign has been chocked full of promising steps in the right direction. Sure they lost to the hated division rival Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, but did anyone really give them a chance to win those games in the first place? Perhaps not the majority of the sports writing world (or anyone living outside the Cincinnati city limits), but that’s hardly the point.

Pittsburgh and Baltimore are fantastic football teams, and the Bengals took both of them down to the wire. Aside from those two (respectable) losses and another tough and equally close contest they dropped to the ferocious 49ers earlier in the season, this team has managed to win seven of its first 11 games. No easy task in this league of warriors. Are you laughing yet? I didn’t think so.

So what about the rest of the season? What’s a young, hungry and talented QB/WR combo to do? Perhaps a look ahead at the games to come is in order:

Pittsburgh is up next. Always a tough game (particularly at Heinz Field), but you can rest assured the ‘Steel Curtain’ will remember a week ten match-up in which this always competitive Cincinnati team nearly squeaked out a win. And A.J. Green will undoubtedly be more of a factor in this meeting, rather than his one reception performance in their last game.
A.J. isn’t laughing about that.

Then they take on a solid Houston team who is atop their division, and equally hungry for some long awaited post-season glory. No easy task, but if anyone can match Houston’s intensity and spunk, it’s this Bengals team that has just as much to fight for as the Texans….and perhaps as much talent to boot.

After two must win games against the lowly St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals, they welcome Baltimore into Paul Brown Stadium for what could quite possibly be the pivotal “to be or not to be” decider game of the year for these young bucks. In their last meeting, despite Dalton throwing three picks to a nasty, downright disgusting Baltimore defense, the game was still decided by a measly touchdown.

Oh and just for the sake of mentioning minor details, A.J. was out that week with a knee injury….just saying. Barring another setback, Mr. Green will surely be back in this contest, and will have his eyes set on beating Ravens for the ultimate prize: the right to compete with his young friend Mr. Dalton in the post-season of the 2011 NFL playoffs.

If they continue on the path they have laid for themselves thus far, they may very well reach that goal…perhaps with a new rookie QB/WR touchdown combination under their belts.

So let’s just say this team does in fact ride their rookie studs off into the sunset, and the Lombardi trophy rests in the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals at the end of the season. The question would then be obvious:
Who’s laughing now?

Fantasy Football:

Bengals Quarterback Options

The Cincinnati Bengals are in a very unique position to the teams drafting around them in the 2011 NFL Draft. The Bengals have a quarterback on the roster who can perform to a high standard in the 2012 NFL season, unfortunately for them he has become disillusioned with life in Cincinnati and has issued an ultimatum to the Bengals’ front office: “Trade me or I’ll retire”. The quarterback in question is Carson Palmer, who the Bengals drafted 1st overall back in 2003 from the University of Southern California. Here are the options that the Bengals have in the wake of this declaration:

1. Keep Carson Palmer – It appears as though this option is currently off the table for the Bengals. Carson Palmer has reportedly put his Cincinnati home on the housing market, signifying his intent to move to new pastures; Palmer has also stated that he has “$80 million in the bank” and that “I don’t have to play football for money. I’ll play it for the love of the game, but that would have to be elsewhere.” The Bengals may still yet have some hope of changing Carson Palmer’s mind, to do that they would have to have a complete refit on offense allowing Palmer to make the choices of which players and co-ordinators to bring in. If this were to happen then it would almost certainly see flamboyant Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco traded out of Cincinnati. Ochocinco has requested a trade in the past and he may finally get his much wanted move away if the Bengals opt to draft A.J. Green, a top wide receiver prospect out of the University of Georgia. The Bengals would be unwise to choose this option as it will result in too much power and responsibility being given to one member of the team, and an injury or unproductive year could really put the franchise back several years.

Likelihood of Choice: 5%

2. Trade Carson Palmer – Should the Bengals give in to Carson Palmer’s demand then they will look to recoup a late first or early second round draft choice for him. With this draft choice the Bengals have several options available to them:

2.1. Draft a Quarterback Early in the 2011 NFL Draft – After a poor 2010 NFL season the Cincinnati Bengals are drafting at pick number 4. This is an ideal spot to take a quarterback should they take a liking to either 2010 Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton or Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert, should one of them fall to pick 4. Another option for the Bengals is to use the pick that they acquired for Carson Palmer to draft a quarterback. If the Bengals were to get pick number 25 from the Seattle Seahawks then they would be in an ideal position to draft Jake Locker from Washington, Arkansas’ Ryan Mallet or Christian Ponder of Florida State. Taking a quarterback late in the first round would seem to be the best option for them if available, as it would allow them to get Georgia playmaker A.J. Green or Alabama wide out Julio Jones with the number four pick, giving their new signal caller an elite talent to throw to, making their job easier.

Likelihood of Choice: 40%

2.2. Trade for a Veteran Quarterback – Another option that the Cincinnati Bengals may wish to explore is the opportunity to trade for another team’s veteran quarterback. This should allow for the Bengals to win more games in the near future with the new quarterback already knowing how to run a pro-style offensive system. There are currently three starting calibre quarterbacks available to trade for. These are the Eagles’ 2007 2nd rounder Kevin Kolb, Denver Broncos’ 2010 starter Kyle Orton, and experienced Redskin Donovan McNabb. The values of these quarterbacks differ greatly with Kolb expected to fetch first and third round draft picks, Kyle Orton a third round pick only and McNabb should be available for the cost of only a fifth round draft pick. The Bengals should avoid McNabb due to his age (34) and poor performances during his 2010 season in the Capital. Orton would be a serviceable starter, however he appears to lack the intangibles to ever lead his team deep into the NFL Playoffs. The best option for the Cincinnati Bengals is Kevin Kolb; he is still young and has shown all of the makings of being a franchise quarterback. The asking price of a first and third may seem steep, however they can be easily recouped by trading want-aways Carson Palmer (1st) and Chad Ochocinco (3rd). The number 4 overall pick can then be used on A.J. Green or Julio Jones, giving Kolb another weapon on offense along with 2009 first round pick Jermaine Gresham.

Likelihood of Choice: 50%

2.3. Sign a Free Agent Quarterback – This option may be used on it’s own, or a rookie quarterback could still be drafted. If a rookie were still drafted then it would allow the rookie quarterback to sit on the bench and learn the Bengals’ offense without risking injury to the rookie whilst still winning games for the franchise. After a year or two of learning the rookie could take over the starting quarterback job where he should then be productive in commanding the offense. The issue with this method is that there are few quarterbacks who are of a high enough standard to allow such an option to be undertaken. The best choice for the Bengals would be ex-Rams starter Marc Bulger. Bulger was a two-time Pro Bowl selection with the Rams and is experienced enough to tutor a rookie quarterback. The issue with this option is that the Arizona Cardinals have shown a lot of interest in this approach, and they appear to be the frontrunners to sign Marc Bulger.

Likelihood of Choice (with rookie QB): 25%

Likelihood of Choice (without rookie QB): 5%

Fantasy Football:

Despite the fact that they can’t seem to get the wins that any team is looking for, the Bengals do have individual talent and stars that any fantasy football owner is sure to want. For example, Carson Palmer clearly wasn’t himself in 2008; he only played in 4 games and had 6 turnovers to just 3 touchdowns. That being said, he has passed for 3,000 yards in every other season that he has been the quarterback for the Bengals except for his rookie year (when he only had 13 games). His lifetime stats put him at just under 1.6 TDs per game, and he also has 7,064 yards passing over the last two seasons combined. He may not be a top pick for your quarterback, but if you find yourself looking for value in a league that rewards for yards, you should think twice before you just pass on Palmer.
As for the running game, the team is supposed to be running the ball more come this fall under new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden. This could be great news for Cedric Benson, but you also have to question the ability of a guy who averaged just over 20 carries a game. I’m not saying Benson can’t take it, but if he is expected to get any more, the wheels could come off of Benson as he faces the tough AFC North schedule this upcoming fall. Benson’s stats have jumped the last few years since being acquired by Cincinnati where he had 20 more carries in 2010 than in ’09, but his total yards dropped by almost 150. He also jumped from 1 fumble in 2009 to 7 in 2010 (losing 5). It isn’t a huge change, but Benson could still be a solid and productive back … just not necessarily a guy you build your team around.
The receiving core gets very tricky in Cincinnati, as it has big named players. On the one hand you have Chad Johnson (who is Ochocinco, was Johnson, and is turning it back to Johnson again…). He is a play-maker to say the least, but he is also aging. Terrell Owens showed that he could be a threat, but he is a free agent and will not return to Cincinnati. Jordan Shipley shows promise, but how much can you rely on a slot receiver? To be fair, Shipley did have 50 catches and 600 yards as a rookie, in only 13 games. But it could be argued that he benefited from teams worrying about T.O. and Ocho. The rest of the receiving crew has potential, but that’s it. Quan Cosby, Jerome Simpson, and Andre Caldwell are the remaining candidates to try and take the receiving core forward, but you are only looking at a combined 47 catches for 638 yards between all three of them last year. Don’t write off this group as they have potential, but you don’t really have a sense of who will step up (Caldwell looks to be the early favorite).
Finally, rookie tight end Jermaine Gresham proved that he was healthy and a solid selection worthy of a first round pick as he brought in 52 catches and 471 yards himself. Add in the 4 touchdowns and you can bet that he can be a release valve in the Bengals offense this fall.

The problem with Cincinnati is that you don’t know what they are going to do. Currently, Carson is threatening to retire if he isn’t traded. The stubbornness of owner Mike Brown suggests he won’t be going anywhere, but at this time only Carson knows if he would retire instead of be a starting quarterback in the NFL. Any rookie that they would draft would be dependent on the Palmer situation. If Palmer stays, they could certainly grab a play-maker like AJ Green out of Georgia in the draft. He could be an immediate impact player, and could continue to help open things up for Shipley and Gresham underneath as well as double as a deep threat against the suspect defensive backfields of the AFC North.
Moving forward, the NFL lockout is interfering with business as usual. It is difficult to see what the Bengals plan on doing in free agency (if one happens anytime soon), and also what they will do with their current players. While we definitely still have time to prepare, at the end of the day the stories you want to keep your eye out on in Cincinnati are 1. What happens with Carson Palmer, 2. Does Chad Ochocinco get traded, 3. Does Cedric Benson officially stay in Cincinnati? Some of these issues might actually interfere with others, and at the end of the day they will determine what players have relevance for your fantasy team.

Fantasy Football:

Week 7 features 9 games that are projected to end in a field goal finish. In what looks like a tough NFL weekend no other match-up seems more like a coin flip then the Falcons and Bengals. The Bengals are off a bye week, which typically means a team is refreshed and focused. Most NFL obsessive coaching staffs are overly prepared with two weeks of scheming, yet this is the Cincinnati Bengals, a team that wouldn’t surprise me if they went on a 10 day drinking binge.

The Falcons on the other hand were exposed in Philadelphia. It was like discovering a poker players “tell”, and ruining them with it. The Falcons defensive formula may have confused some of their earlier opponents but looked flawed on the road in Philly. The Falcons refused to send pressure, and Kolb picked them apart because of it

The Bengals have dropped their last two games and the Falcons were torched for 31 points last week. So who takes control of this weekend’s rare meeting between the Bengals and Falcons?

Palmer and T.O seem to be the better combination these days, and will have to get on track early. Palmer has struggled this season with his erratic play but can still lead this team. Cedric Benson is one of the lone RB’s in the league that see a heavy workload, his ability to keep defense’s on their toes is a valuable part of the Bengals offense. If Benson can’t get on track it sputters the offense. Sunday, the Bengals will want to start fast and get points on their first drive. Their confidence is shot, despite the huge ego’s on this team of orange and black. We haven’t seen any sideline drama yet, but a few 3 and out’s this week and the crazy will show up early for Halloween.

The Falcons had their 4 game win streak clipped in a real eye opener last week. Matt Ryan’s throws were off the defense wasn’t able to accomplish much. With lucky wins over the Saints and 49er’s some are calling Atlanta’s 4-2 record inflated, as it could easily be a 2-4 record. A Falcons fan may get defensive with such a statement, but if the Saints don’t miss an easy overtime field goal or Nate Clements just goes down after a fourth quarter Matt Ryan interception and this team is near the bottom of the division instead of being tied with the Saints at the top.

I think this game will see many shades of miss-cues. Both teams will be pressing, which could lead to some stalled drives and blown plays. The lead should trade hands a few times, but the real difference between these two very similar squads is rest and preparation the Bengals gained from their week off. I’m going to assume there were no secret boat cruises and take the Bengals in a spoiler.

Sports betting at Sports Interaction

Photo: SportsChrome.com

Fantasy Football:

Cincinnati Bengals 2-1 vs. Cleveland Browns 0-3

Starting fantasy players in Cleveland is like putting Ketsup on macaroni, it’s not that unheard of,  but it always taste like crap. The Bengals on the other hand, aren’t exactly beef Wellington these days, after 3 weeks of tough outings fantasy owners are about done with the “who dey”.

This week’s match-up goes beyond the records. It is, yet another divisional game that throws the ordinary out the window. Many Gridiron Experts writers are calling for a spoiler game, and I wouldn’t be surprised. Cleveland looked good last week on the road against one of the tougher NFL defenses, racking up solid fantasy rushing yards with Peyton Hillis. The quarterback situation is better left up to a coin toss in Cleveland but the defense and rushing attack look to be coming along nicely.

The Bengals are the opposite of graceful. Palmer has made some throws this year that have been very suspect, and I even wonder how safe he still is in orange and black. Palmer hasn’t cracked 200 yards since week one and has only one TD to show for the Bengals back to back wins. That must mean the Cedric Benson is leading the way, right? If you call his biggest week 81 yards rushing, then sure he’s the workhorse.

In games we thought the Bengals passing attack would get on track -it didn’t. In games that looked somewhat easier for Benson -they weren’t. So how is week 4 going to go down?

My guess is the Browns are going to take advantage of the Bengals mental mistakes and take an early lead. This will force added pressure on Palmer to make a comeback, adding decent fantasy numbers. Cedric Benson should fit into the mix with sub-par numbers. I’d be surprised if this game cracked 37 total points scored

Fantasy Football:

On paper, the Cincinnati Bengals should have one of the best fantasy football teams in the NFL. They have a very good running back in Cedric Benson, an excellent group of pass catchers with a great blend of promising rookies ( Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley) and proven veterans (Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco). So why are they not being talked about as one of the elite offenses? The answer, surprisingly, is Carson Palmer.

Once upon a time, Carson Palmer was an annual top 5 pick at quarterback in every fantasy football draft in the country. From 2005-2007, Palmer averaged 4000 passing yards a season, with 29 touchdown passes. He made the Pro Bowl in 2005 and 2006. When Palmer threw his 100^th career touchdown pass, during the 2007 season, he became the 5^th fastest in NFL history to achieve this feat. He was looking like he was going to become a Peyton Manning like elite fantasy figure for the next decade or more.

Since that time, Palmer has struggled to match his elite numbers of 2005 and 2006. His problems really began in 2008, when he started and played in only 4 games. He was placed on IR after being diagnosed with a torn ligament in his throwing elbow. He elected not to undergo Tommy John surgery on the elbow, and was ready to play in time for week 1 last year. Although 2009 was a decent season, Palmer’s are strength seemed to be lacking as he had the lowest yards per attempt numbers for any full season in his career.

The Bengals seemed to have accepted that Palmer’s decreasing arm strength might be a permanent change. They have changed their offense to more of a smash mouth, rushing attack led by Cedric Benson. This probably better suits a team, like the Bengals, who have a fine defense, and play in the rugged AFC North. This is a team that now seems content with handing the ball off 25-30 times a game, rather than trying to air it out, like in Palmer’s elite quarterbacking days.

With a good defense, receivers, and a stud running back, one has to ask if Carson Palmer is the weak link to the Bengals? Running teams led by dominant quarterbacks simply don’t have to spend a 1^st and 3^rd round pick on receivers. The elite, superstar quarterbacks, like Drew Brees and Peyton Manning,seem to be capable of putting up fantastic numbers regardless of who the team lines up. Palmer is certainly no longer in that group of quarterbacks.

All is not lost, though. Palmer is only 30 years old. He has been throwing the ball during the 2010 NFL preseason very well. The Bengals invested a 1^st round pick on rookie tight end Jermaine Gresham, who has looked down right phenomenal for Bengals. He is easily the best tight end Palmer has ever played with. Cincinnati also spent a 3^rd round pick on Texas rookie Jordan Shipley, who has shown sure hands, and will line up in the slot. At wide receiver, the Bengals return Palmer’s favorite red zone target in Chad Ochocinco, and brought in aging superstar Terrell Owens, giving the team a lot of weapons for Palmer to throw to. What more could a quarterback ask for?

Fantasy Football:

Carson Palmer: How Long Will We Wait

Of the few perks that accompany being an Ohio resident, is that you inevitably end up competing in fantasy leagues with Bengals fans. And for the past five years, they’ve always been reliably predictable in over-drafting Carson Palmer (or any Bengal, for that matter). Yes, for all their base-level skepticism, it has been my experience that the majority of Bengals fans are almost shamelessly hopeful year-in, year out, and naturally this spills over into their fantasy perceptions.

Here’s how that process generally works: the pick comes around to said Bengals fan, and with all the anxiousness and jubilation of  they blurt it out all anxiously, “CARSON PALMER!”, like everyone before and after him was contemplating taking the once promising USC alum and they stole him out from everybody. Generally the response that everyone thinks but no one dares utter is something along the lines of: “Sorry man, I hate to break it to you, but we’re still in the fifth round, you could have waited until the 7th and he’d still be off everyone’s radar. I’d rather have Roethlisberger with his six game suspension and all the conflicted feelings about begrudgingly being forced into rooting for him.” Anecdotally, Bengals fan still feels like Palmer is a steal if he’s available after the first fifty picks.

Plausible deniability has kept Cincinnati optimistic about Palmer’s, (and therefore, The Bengals) chances each year. It’s true, the Bengals have been a mostly dysfunctional franchise since Palmer has been there (if this were the NBA he would have played for at least two different teams by now), and during 2005 he was emerging as the best young QB in the league (3rd only to Brady and Manning). But at some point the appointed leader has to take some responsibility for the dysfunction and actually rebound himself along with the team. Of course, this isn’t commonplace in the NFL. The only time we blame quarterbacks for anything is on-field play, and even then we love making excuses for why they screwed the pooch (the line was terrible, he has no receivers, etc.).

Palmer I think has seen the days of ardent media defenses pass him by, and it feels like the fans are growing tired of his inconsistency and circling the wagons. For the first few years after the knee injury that forever altered the course of his career, everyone was exceptionally sympathetic. The argument tended to go, “he’ll eventually come around to his old self, and in the meantime he’s still one of the five best quarterbacks in the league.” This had a certain validity to it because the quarterback pool was shallow in 2006, but even upon returning and especially after a subsequent injury that forced the Bengals into starting Kirk Fitzpatrick for the majority of the 2008 season, the apologists are growing fewer and farther between.

What makes the longevity of the Carson Palmer Brand so astonishing is it defies the NFL and its limited shelf-life for non-producing quarterbacks. Name credibility is something that fades over time in most vestiges of American life, and almost exponentially in the NFL. For every five great games a player has, depending on the deemed importance of the game, those five are generally offset by a single disappointing one. This guy has made the playoffs twice in a six year career, both times resulted in first round exits (as mentioned before, he only played one snap in 2005 before Kimo Von Oelhoffen shattered his kneecap, and last year, in a ghastly performance against the Jets). He missed 75% of the 2008 season and is perpetually suffering from nagging injuries, yet isn’t considered a health risk.

His numbers against stingy defenses pale in comparison to those against weak defenses and unfortunately for Palmer, he plays in a division with the Steelers and Ravens. Remove the week seven game against the Bears and the week 17 game against the Jets (he threw one pick and completed just one pass for 11 yards), and you’re left with 16 TD’s and 12 INT’s in fourteen games for 2009. Those are Jason Campbell numbers, right there.

Point being, is this someone who should be revered? Look at the numbers the leagues real elite QB’s posted in 2009. Sorry to say, but for whatever improvement the Bengals demonstrated last season, based on how meekly they closed out 2009 (losing four of five including the playoff game), it’s quite clear that with the current arrangement they won’t amount to much more than a wildcard team.

Now this shouldn’t all be pinned on Palmer. Chad Johnson’s been injured and inconsistent and fickle over the years, his best playmaker since 2007 TJ Houshmenzadeh bolted for the Seahawks (the Bermuda Triangle of receivers) after definitively surpassing Ochocinco, Cedric Benson has been surprisingly productive but the fact the organization relied almost solely on him points to their…penchant for cutting corners. The line seems much more prone to run instead of pass blocking and the front office is notoriously cheap (if you’ve wondered why they bring in so much troubled talent, the explanation is simple: they get high caliber athletes for less cost because so few are willing to gamble on them).

So looking ahead, what’s in store for 2010? Well, essentially more of the same because very little on the roster has changed. At wideout they’re starting Antonio Bryant and Ochocinco, with assists from Andre Caldwell, Jerome Simpson and the hopeful Jordan Shipley (him and Colt McCoy can reunite in Columbus for crab manicotti at Elevator). Not really an improvement or declination, though I would admittedly lean towards the former. The offensive line was serviceable last season and will probably perform similarly in 2010. And the running game should make things easier on the passing, but the Bengals did absolutely nothing to strengthen their running back corps and Cedric Benson has a lot of mileage on him. We all know how quickly running backs can get old.

In short, the only way this offense improves is if Carson Palmer can reclaim that 2005 version of himself that every Bengals fan, every year, swears is going to happen. Being the cynic that I and most objective observers of the NFL have come to be, I can’t really envision this happening in 2010 or ever. It seems that if the Bengals ever want to legitimately contend for a title, they’re going to be forced into trading Palmer while he still has some market value.

Both parties could probably stand to part ways, and I give each about two years to do so before A) Palmer over-extends his stay in Cincinnati and wastes what’s left of his starting days on some piddling low-level playoff contender. Besides, if anything a change of scenery is most likely only going to rejuvenate his career. He seemingly hates Ohio, anyways. And B) The Bengals stay too invested in Palmer for too long and set the franchise back for years. Considering very few teams are able to transition from, say, Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers so smoothly, it might be time for the Bengals to consider their options with Palmer before their fans start sanely evaluating his fantasy prospects.

Fantasy Football:

NFL Compensatory Picks Awarded

NFL Compensatory Picks Awarded

Those who aren’t NFL Draft regulars might be interested to learn of the yearly Compensatory draft picks handed out. These extra draft picks are awarded to teams that were poached last year in free agency.

This year, the compensatory picks will be positioned within the 3rd through 7th rounds, based on the value of the compensatory free agents lost. The number of draft picks a team receives equals the net loss of compensatory free agents up to a maximum of four….in other words, if a NFL team loses players that are of value and don’t replace them within a off season they get a extra kickbacks to keep the league competitive.

If your a Bengals fan than you will be happy to learn that the amount of free agents lost last year was large enough to earn an extra 3rd and 4th round pick in this years draft.

Cincinnati Lost: Stacy Andrews, Ryan Fitzpatrick, T.J. Houshmandzadeh last year, without adding any starters in replacement.

The complete list of draft picks for the entire 7 rounds should be available shortly.

Fantasy Football: