Buffalo Bills Awarded Two Compensatory Draft Picks
By Dennis Moody
The Buffalo Bills were awarded two compensatory draft picks in the 2016 draft.
The draft picks that the Buffalo Bills received will be in the fourth round (139 overall) and in the sixth round (218 overall).
Chris Brown does a great job of explaining what factors into the formula for compensatory picks. According to Brown’s article, “The number of picks a team receives equals the net loss of compensatory free agents up to a maximum of four. Compensatory free agents are determined by a formula based on salary, playing time and postseason honors. The formula was developed by the NFL Management Council. Not every free agent lost or signed by a club is covered by this formula.”
According to a press release from the NFL, the players that factored into the formula that rewarded the Bills these picks included Tyrod Taylor as the only player added. The other Bills offseason additions did not qualify for various reasons. The players that were considered to be lost under the formula were Erik Pears, Da’Norris Searcy, Lee Smith & C.J. Spiller. Searcy and Spiller were the major reasons why the Bills received the picks. Searcy signed a $24 million dollar deal with the Tennesse Titans while C.J. Spiller signed a $16 million deal with the New Orleans Saints.
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This now gives Buffalo eight total selections in the upcoming draft. They will pick once in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th rounds this year. The team will have two selections in the 4th and 6th rounds with the additions of these two picks. Buffalo does not have a 7th round selection because it was used to trade for Matt Cassel last offseason. During the season, the Bills decided to trade Cassel to the Dallas Cowboys and received a 5th round pick in 2017 in exchange for the Bills 7th round pick the same year.
Having an additional fourth and six round pick will be extremely helpful to general manager Doug Whaley. The Bills have lost several players in free agency, most notably on the defensive side of the ball. They need to find some talent in the draft to replenish their roster. Whether Whaley uses the picks to add two more players to the team or if he uses them to trade up for the right player it should help him improve the Bills roster for 2016.