Here was the Ted Thompson strategy perfectly at play. Lose free agents. Don’t sign any free agents. Gain compensatory draft picks.
The Packers will have four in the 2018 draft.
Compensatory picks, through a much-guarded NFL formula, are awarded at the ends of round three through the end of the draft. What is surprising is that the Packers didn’t get one in round three.
Most everyone was almost certain that the Packers would get a pick there for losing T.J. Lang. We know the formula is loosely based on the amount of a player’s contract and his performance, so in the case of losing Lang, the Packers should have won.