Cardinals awarded 4 late-round compensatory NFL Draft picks

The Arizona Cardinals earned four compensatory 2019 NFL Draft picks based off their free agent losses from last offseason.

The NFL awarded its 32 compensatory picks on Friday, and along with the Cardinals, only the New England Patriots and Washington Redskins earned the maximum of four extra draft selections.

Arizona earned one sixth-round pick (35th in the round, 208th overall) and three seventh-round picks: 34th in the round, 248th overall; 35th in the round, 249th overall; and 40th in the round, 254th overall.

Arizona already had the first pick in each of the first six rounds of the draft.

It also acquired the sixth pick in the sixth round in exchange for the selection leading off the seventh round after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired former Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, who retired from the NFL after 2017. The NFL awarded the Cardinals that swap as compensation for losing Arians, whose rights were still owned by Arizona, the NFL decided.

The NFL distributes compensatory picks from the third through seventh rounds of the draft each year based on a selected pool of free agents lost.

A formula takes salary, playing time and postseason honors into consideration to value players and determine whether teams should be compensated for those players leaving in free agency. But the compensated-for players are also determined by a formula dictated by individual teams’ gains and losses of unrestricted free agents each year.

According to a projection by OverTheCap.com, the Cardinals received compensation for losing pass-rusher Kareem Martin (Giants), backup quarterback Drew Stanton (Browns) and receiver Jaron Brown (Seahawks) last offseason.

They also lost cornerback Tramon Williams (Packers) and quarterback Blaine Gabbert (Titans). In free agency, the Cardinals gained offensive guard Justin Pugh and right tackle Andre Smith.

Follow @kzimmermanaz