NFL will allow the trading of future compensatory picks

It is old news that beginning in 2017, NFL teams will be allowed to trade their compensatory picks, which should be a big boon for the Baltimore Ravens, who are the masters at accumulating these extra picks. The picks are usually awarded in late March of each year at the owners meeting, and are calculated using a formula which is a closely held secret. However, our friends at Overthecap have figured out the basic parameters of the formula, continuing the work of an anonymous online blogger, AdamJT13, who had the basic formula down but disappeared a few years ago from the internet. Overthecap uses these parameters to project, correctly for the most part, the compensatory picks awarded each year and the cutoffs between rounds.

Yesterday, Field Yates of ESPN broke an additional tidbit about the trading capability for these compensatory picks. Per Yates, teams will also be able to trade future compensatory picks even before they are awarded, albeit on a conditional level.

Per the leagues release:

"For example, if a club trades its 2017 fifth-round selection, the trade may include the following condition: If the club is awarded a fourth-round compensatory selection in 2017, the club will trade the 2017 fourth-round compensatory selection in lieu of the 2017 fifth-round selection. If the club is awarded multiple 2017 fourth-round compensatory selections, it will trade the compensatory selection that is closest to the end of the round."

As of the 2017 league year, teams will be allowed to trade the compensatory picks they've been awarded leading up to the draft.

So in essence, a team can trade a 4th round compensatory pick, and if for whatever reason they are not awarded one, it would revert down to the teams original 5th rounder. However, it will be interesting to see how the league plans on keeping this straight. Can a team trade their 2017 4th round compensatory pick if they have no 2017 5th round pick? What would be the protocol for a situation like that.

This is applicable for the Ravens and the Kelechi Osemele pick. Essentially, the Ravens have two 3rd rounders in the 2017 draft which can be traded today if they desire. Interesting twist of events to say the least!