Ravens eligible to get comp pick for Ed Reed

The NFL confirmed that the Baltimore Ravens are eligible to get a compensatory pick after losing safety Ed Reed in free agency last year.

There were questions about whether or not the Ravens would receive one after I wrote last weekend the team will likely get four comp picks. So, I reached out to league spokesman Corry Rush, who explained why the Ravens could still get a compensatory pick for Reed (although it can't be higher than a fifth-round one).

A reader suggested that the Ravens wouldn't get a comp pick for Reed because he played 10 years in the league. Here's the exact rule: "No Club shall be entitled to a Compensatory Draft Selection before the end of the fifth round for any CFA (excluding quarterbacks) with ten or more Accrued Seasons at the time of signing with his new Club."

Another reader questioned whether or not the Ravens would be awarded a comp pick because Reed was released during the season by the Houston Texans. According to the NFL, a team won't receive a comp pick if its former player is released or waived before Week 10. But the Texans cut Reed after the 10th week of the season. If they had done so the previous week, the Ravens wouldn't have been eligible for one. The Ravens should thank Gary Kubiak for that one.

So, the Ravens could get the league-maximum four compensatory picks, when they're announced at the NFL Owners Meetings next month. These are the four players that the Ravens are eligible to receive compensatory picks for: Reed, linebacker Paul Kruger, linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and cornerback Cary Williams.


(espn.com)