In the NFL, there are teams who thrive in the free-agent market, and there are those that would rather sit back and watch the free-agent frenzy pass them by. If teams choose to let their players walk, they typically are rewarded with a compensatory draft pick.
But it isn't that simple.
For an extremely detailed look at how the equation works for compensatory picks, OverTheCap has that for you, but the basics of the formula are much more than players lost vs. players gained. Steelers fans should remember how the team had to release Donte Moncrief before a deadline to get a pick for the loss of Le'Veon Bell, a decision based on that formula.