Cardinals granted compensatory fifth-round pick

The Arizona Cardinals will have an extra pick in next month’s NFL Draft.

The NFL announced it’s compensatory picks Friday, and the Cardinals were granted a fifth-round choice. It will be the 170th selection overall.

Compensation picks are awarded based off of free agency gains and losses from the previous season. Last year, the Cardinals signed Mike Iupati, Corey Peters, Cory Redding and Sean Weatherspoon, while at the same time losing Sam Acho, Antonio Cromartie, Paul Fanaika, Rob Housler and Dan Williams.

According to the NFL, compensatory free agents are determined by a formula based on salary, playing time and postseason honors. Not every free agent lost or signed by a team factors into the formula.

The Cardinals had two fifth-round picks in last year’s draft, and with them they chose linebacker Shaquille Riddick (158th overall) and receiver J.J. Nelson (159th overall). The year before they nabbed defensive lineman Ed Stinson in the fifth round, and in 2013 they chose running back Stepfan Taylor.

In all, 33 compensatory picks were divided up between 13 teams. The Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers joined the Cardinals as the teams with one, while the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers were each granted four.

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