The Seattle Seahawks played it safe this offseason, carefully monitoring the moves they made during the initial waves of free agency. Like other prudent teams, Seattle signed the majority of its unrestricted free agents with compensatory draft picks in mind.
Compensatory draft selections are awarded to clubs based on a formula of free agents lost versus free agents gained. To qualify as a compensatory free agent, a player must have been signed before May 8, be on the roster for at least 10 weeks of the regular season and rank in the top 50 percent of the NFL’s compensatory-pick formula. Players released before signing with new teams do not count against the formula.
While compensatory selections won’t be announced until after the season, Seattle is now projected to receive four in 2020 – one in the third, fourth, sixth and seventh rounds of the draft. Teams can be awarded a maximum of four comp picks each year.
The departures of safety Earl Thomas and cornerback Justin Coleman should net Seattle a third and fourth rounder, respectively, as the club’s top free agents lost.
Seattle did sign kicker Jason Myers and Mike Iupati, but waved goodbye to defensive tackle Shamar Stephen and backup quarterback Brent Hundley, who could give the Seahawks the sixth and seventh rounders canceled out by the losses of guard J.R. Sweezy and running back Mike Davis.
Defensive end Ziggy Ansah – expected to sign with Seattle imminently – as well as the three players added Thursday, won’t impact the formula since all four transactions fall after the May 8 deadline.
