Arizona Cardinals Given Compensatory Draft Pick By NFL

On Friday at the NFL owners meetings, 32 compensatory draft picks were granted to 23 different franchises. The compensatory were the result of free agent losses after the 2010 season. There was some question as to whether or not the Cardinals would get one, because of offsetting free agent signings they made last offseason. Arizona was granted a seventh round pick, as was expected by me.

That brings the number of draft picks that the Cardinals have for the 2011 NFL Draft to eight. Previously they had no seventh round choice. They had one in rounds one through five and two in round six. The second pick in the sixth came as a result of trading Reggie Wells to the Philadelphia Eagles. The seventh round pick they would have had was sent to the Jets as part of the deal that brought Kerry Rhodes to the team.

What does this mean? Not much. However, seventh round picks have been a part of the rotation. Last year's seventh rounder was TE Jim Dray who started some games. Starting RT Brandon Keith was a seventh round pick as well, as was LaRod Stephens-Howling.

With the added pick, it can mean that they will use the extra pick to draft a guy or they might use the one of the two picks in the sixth round to move up in a different round to select a particular guy, like they did last year to draft John Skelton and the previous year to get Alan Branch.

What is interesting is that the Cards did not get the pick because of their free agent losses. Darren Urban tweeted that the NFL always doles out 32  picks, so the Cards benefited.

If you were wondering, the Cardinals lost Karlos Dansby and Neil Rackers. They signed Rex Hadnot and Paris Lenon. Players that were cut and changed teams (Antrel Rolle, Alan Faneca, Jay Feely, Joey Porter, Derek Anderson) do not get considered for compensatory draft choices.

Seven teams were granted two picks each, including the 49ers, who now have 12 picks in the draft next month.