NFL Announces Compensatory Picks For 2022 Draft
The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks for teams in the 2022 draft. These picks are awarded to the teams that suffered the most significant free agent losses during the 2021 offseason.
This year, the NFL awarded 39 comp picks. The comp pick formula assigns picks to franchises who suffered the largest net losses, so teams that signed multiple free agents have a lesser chance of receiving picks.
This year’s formula also includes the changes made last year, when teams began receiving third-round comp picks due to the hiring of minority head coaches and general managers. Seven such picks were awarded this year. The 49ers landed two additional third-rounders this year, obtaining the extra selections for the Jets’ 2021 Robert Saleh hire and the Dolphins hiring Mike McDaniel this year. Miami’s McDaniel hire will give San Francisco another third-rounder in 2023.
The Chiefs obtained a third-rounder for the Bears’ Ryan Poles GM hire, while the Browns landed a third because of the Vikings’ Kwesi Adofo-Mensah GM hire. The Ravens collected their second third-round for the Texans’ 2021 David Culley hire; Culley has since been fired. The Saints and Rams obtained one apiece after seeing the Falcons and Lions hire minority execs Terry Fontenot and Brad Holmes as GMs in 2021. New Orleans and Detroit also landed thirds because of players given high-value contacts last year (Trey Hendrickson and Kenny Golladay, respectively).
Here is the full list of 2022 compensatory selections:
By round:
Round 3: Lions (No. 97 overall), Saints (98), Browns (99)*, Ravens (100)*, Saints (101)*, 49ers (102)*, Chiefs (103)*, Rams (104)*, 49ers (105)*
Round 4: Steelers (No. 138), Ravens (139), Packers (140), Ravens (141), Rams (142), Titans (143)
Round 5: Cowboys (No. 176), Lions (177), Cowboys (178), Colts (179)
Round 6: Rams (No. 211), Rams (212), Falcons (213), Chargers (214), Cardinals (215), Colts (216), Lions (217), Rams (218), Titans (219), 49ers (220), 49ers (221)
Round 7: Chargers (No. 254), Chargers (255), Cardinals (256), Cardinals (257), Packers (258), Chiefs (259), Chargers (260), Buccaneers (261), 49ers (262)
By team:
San Francisco 49ers (5)
Los Angeles Rams (5)
Los Angeles Chargers (4)
Arizona Cardinals (3)
Baltimore Ravens (3)
Detroit Lions (3)
Dallas Cowboys (2)
Green Bay Packers (2)
Indianapolis Colts (2)
Kansas City Chiefs (2)
New Orleans Saints (2)
Tennessee Titans (2)
Atlanta Falcons (1)
Cleveland Browns (1)
Pittsburgh Steelers (1)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1)
* = special compensatory selection
Steelers To Sign CB Levi Wallace
Levi Wallace is moving from Buffalo to Pittsburgh. The Steelers are adding the four-year veteran cornerback on a two-year deal worth $8MM, NFL reporter Jordan Schultz tweets.
This stands to aid a Steelers team that has Joe Haden unattached. While the Steelers gave Haden a second contract, the former first-round pick has now made it to free agency. It is somewhat interesting the Bills are letting Wallace walk for this price. The team will need to replace a four-year starter.
Despite entering the NFL as a UDFA, Wallace worked as a Bills first-stringer throughout his career. He played in all 19 Buffalo games this past season. The Alabama product should be expected to start for the Steelers next season. The Steelers reupped Cameron Sutton last year and used him as a full-time starter. He and Wallace represent a low-cost tandem, by 2022 cornerback standards.
Wallace, 26, has six career interceptions. More became asked of him last season, when Tre’Davious White suffered a season-ending injury on Thanksgiving night. While Buffalo’s secondary did not hold up well to close out the team’s infamous loss in Kansas City, the Bills did rank first defensively in the regular season. The 6-foot Wallace finished the regular season with his lowest figure for passer rating against (72.6).
Not typically big on unrestricted free agency, the Steelers have been fairly active this week. In addition to the Mitchell Trubisky addition, Pittsburgh has agreed to terms with James Daniels and now with Wallace. The Steelers also re-signed tackle Chukwuma Okorafor for nearly eight figures per year.
Steelers To Sign James Daniels
The Steelers have made another big splash in the offensive line market. The team is signing guard James Daniels to a three-year, $26.5MM contract, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link).
Daniels will see $8.75MM fully guaranteed on this deal, per Spotrac (on Twitter), essentially covering the 2022 season. His cap numbers come in at $4.1MM for 2022 before spiking to $11.1MM in each of the contract’s final two seasons.
[RELATED: Steelers To Re-Sign Chukwuma Okorafor]
The 24-year-old began his career with the Bears. He started 48 of 54 games during that four-year span, establishing himself as a serviceable starter. The former second round pick set a career high in terms of snaps played this past season, with 1,122.
2021 was also his best campaign from an analytical perspective. He earned a PFF grade of 71, making him a solid option in this year’s free agent market. In Pittsburgh, he will join a team that’s been in need of upgrades throughout the offensive front. He will also be re-joining former Bears teammate Mitch Trubisky, who is reportedly joining the Steelers to compete for the starting quarterback role. The pair spent three seasons together in Chicago.
This is the third notable move the Steelers have made regarding their o-line recently. They reached an agreement with Mason Cole yesterday, meaning the unit could look very different when the 2022 season begins. That will likely be a welcome sign for Pittsburgh, as the team continues to re-shape its offense in the post-Ben Roethlisberger era.
RFA Tender Decisions: 3/14/22
The deadline for teams to extend tender offers to their restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents looms next week. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Commanders: K Brian Johnson
- Saints: WR/PR Deonte Harris (second-round tender)
- Steelers: DB Marcus Allen
- Vikings: K Greg Joseph
Steelers To Sign OL Mason Cole
After re-signing Chukwuma Okorafor earlier today, the Steelers are adding another offensive lineman to the mix. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), the Steelers are signing center Mason Cole. It will be a three-year deal for the offensive lineman. Cole is getting a three-year deal worth $15.75MM, with $11MM paid out in the first two years (per ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter).
[RELATED: Steelers To Re-Sign OL Chukwuma Okorafor]
The 2018 third-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career with the Cardinals, starting 32 of his 46 appearances. He was traded to the Vikings last offseason for a sixth-round pick, and he proceeded to start seven of his 14 games for Minnesota. Cole spent time at both center and right guard before his season ended early due to an elbow injury.
2021 third-round pick Kendrick Green ran with the starting center gig last year, starting all 15 of his games. The team is also rostering center J.C. Hassenauer.
Steelers To Re-Sign OL Chukwuma Okorafor
Chukwuma Okorafor is heading back to Pittsburgh. The Steelers are re-signing the offensive lineman, reports NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter).
[RELATED: Steelers To Sign Mitch Trubisky]
It’s a three-year deal worth $29.25MM, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Okorafor will earn $20.5MM in the first two years of the pact.
The 2018 third-round pick has spent his entire career with the Steelers, seeing time in 46 games. He’s taken on a larger role in recent seasons, starting 31 games for Pittsburgh between 2020 and 2021. He saw time in 97 percent of his team’s offensive snaps this past season.
Okorafor’s versatility (he’s even started games at tight end) makes him a commodity, even if he doesn’t hold a starting gig. Naturally, the 24-year-old generated plenty of interest around the NFL, per Garafolo.
Steelers To Sign Mitch Trubisky
As expected, the Steelers have dipped into the free agent pool to address the quarterback position. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the team has reached an agreement with Mitch Trubisky on a two-year deal (Twitter link). 
Trubisky’s contract comes in at $14.25MM base value, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets, but substantial incentive money is available. Unspecified incentives can take the deal up to $27MM. This could be contingent on Trubisky sticking as Pittsburgh’s starter.
The former second overall pick spent last season with the Bills, serving as Josh Allen‘s backup. That came after a four-year stint in Chicago, which included a Pro Bowl campaign in 2018. His 11-3 record that season didn’t end up as the taking-off point for a successful career as the Bears’ franchise QB, however. Struggling to find success despite the team’s strong defense and running game, he found himself holding a clipboard in Buffalo while Chicago invested a first round pick in Justin Fields last April.
Given the relationship that developed between the 27-year-old and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, many expected the Giants to be his destination with the latter being hired as the new head coach. “He’s a great leader of men. He’s just real and authentic with all the guys, and I think that is why so many people respected him in our building. So I’m excited to see what he’s going to do”, Trubisky recently said of Daboll.
With that said, the Steelers were also reported to be targeting the former Tar Heel last month. Trubisky was one of three signal-callers Pittsburgh was eyeing, the others being Teddy Bridgewater and Jameis Winston. Despite the hole at the position, it became known rather quickly that the Steelers were not going to acquire Deshaun Watson, who remains by far the biggest name remaining in the QB market.
Trubisky will now compete with Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins for the starting role in Pittsburgh. Head coach Mike Tomlin has stressed the need for mobility in the team’s next QB, which could give him a leg up on the competition. This news also further points to Daniel Jones being the undisputed No. 1 in New York, something which, of course, wouldn’t have been as assured had Trubisky signed with the Giants as many had figured he would.
Meanwhile, another team can be scratched off the list of those interested in trading for Jimmy Garoppolo. The Colts have been named as a potential landing spot for the veteran, along with, presumably, each team which loses out on acquiring Watson.
QB Rumors: Trubisky, Winston, Taylor, Lock
The Giants’ new head coach, Brian Daboll, worked with free agent quarterback Mitchell Trubisky when they were both with the Bills last year (Daboll as offensive coordinator). Well, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN, Daboll has interest in luring Trubisky to join him in New York.
There’s been some interest in bringing Trubisky to Pittsburgh, as well, where a path to starting is much more clear. If Daboll’s familiarity with the sixth-year quarterback is able to attract him to the Giants, though, the head coach sees the potential for him to mirror the results of Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee. A quick refresher: Tannehill arrived in Nashville in 2019 in a trade with the Dolphins. Tannehill started the season in the role of back up quarterback to the incumbent starter Marcus Mariota. After a 2-4 start to the season, Mariota was benched in favor of Tannehill, who went 7-3 for the rest of the year and led the Titans to the AFC Championship Game.
Daboll holds hope that, while Daniel Jones may retain the starting job in New York, if the need presents itself, Trubisky could provide the same effect as Tannehill.
Some other notes concerning quarterbacks around the league:
- Another option the Steelers could be looking into, Jameis Winston is looking like the most likely starting quarterback for the Saints in 2022, according to Graziano. With Teddy Bridgewater headed to free agency, a return to New Orleans could be possible, and Winston may see some opportunities in testing the free agent market, himself. But Winston is a locker room favorite that saw success on the Saints before tearing his ACL midseason last year.
- Tyrod Taylor lost the starting job in Houston last year to rookie quarterback Davis Mills. With Mills expected to return to the starting position next year, the Texans do have interest in bringing Taylor back in the role of back up quarterback, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Taylor has chased starting jobs throughout his career and has seen some success at times. He may search for a new opportunity to start, but, if not, Taylor has shown professionalism several times in back up roles mentoring young quarterbacks.
- After receiving Drew Lock in the Russell Wilson-trade with the Broncos, Seattle is considering the elements to Lock’s lack of success in Denver, according to Fowler. Some believe that the revolving door of offensive coordinators contributed to his struggles. Seattle is analyzing whether they believe in Pete Carroll‘s ability to develop Lock, who showed glimpses of promise in his early appearances as a Bronco, or whether they need to make moves for Deshaun Watson to win now.
Steelers Re-Sign CB Maulet
The Steelers tied up one of their loose ends before the start of free agency this week, signing cornerback Arthur Maulet to a new two-year deal, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Maulet signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2017, spending most of his time in New Orleans on the practice squad but appearing in six games. After being waived in 2018, the Colts claimed Maulet off waivers. He played five games in Indianapolis, earning his first career start, before getting waived and re-signed to the Saints’ practice squad.
Maulet signed a reserve/future contract in 2019 with the Jets. In New York, Maulet started 11 games over two years splitting time at cornerback and strong safety. He recorded his first career interceptions in New York, reeling in one each year there, and recorded his first career sack in 2020.
In May 2021, the Steelers signed Maulet to a one-year, $990,000 deal. Maulet appeared in all but one game last year for the Steelers, earning two starts at cornerback. Maulet adds some much needed depth to the cornerback’s room in Pittsburgh, rejoining starter Cameron Sutton and back ups Tre Norwood, James Pierre, and Justin Layne. Starting cornerback Joe Haden and key back up Ahkello Witherspoon are also on their way to free agency.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/11/22
Here are today’s minor roster moves around the NFL:
Chicago Bears
- Assigned from waivers: RB Darrynton Evans
Cincinnati Bengals
- Re-Signed: LB Joe Bachie
Dallas Cowboys
- Released: WR Robert Foster
- Waived: CB Reggie Robinson and RB Ito Smith
Houston Texans
- Re-Signed: QB Jeff Driskel and OL Carson Green
Las Vegas Raiders
- Re-Signed: OT Jackson Barton
New York Giants
- Waived: TE Kaden Smith
- Re-Signed: WR David Sills
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Re-Signed: S Miles Killebrew
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-Signed: LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles