Packers acknowledge comp pick formula factored into Javon Hargrave signing
· Yahoo Sports
The Green Bay Packers needed veteran help at defensive tackle and were handed an opportunity to add one of Jonathan Gannon's most disruptive former players, but even Brian Gutekunst could freely acknowledge that the compensatory pick formula played a big role in the Packers targeting and signing Javon Hargrave in free agency.
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Hargrave, who once starred for Gannon in Philadelphia, was released by the Minnesota Vikings and therefore did not hurt the Packers' position in the compensatory pick process -- a big factor why Hargrave was such an attractive option for Gutekunst.
"He's been an exceptional player in his career. He's excelled as a run stopper and pass rusher. He's a complete player," Gutekunst said Monday at the league meeting in Phoenix. "We've lost a few guys in the defensive interior there, we just needed to add something. Particularly because he was released and wasn't part of compensatory formula, he just fit really well."
Compensatory picks are awarded to teams for losing qualifying unrestricted free agents. The Packers are projected to get the maximum of four compensatory picks next year, including the possibility of a third-round pick for losing Malik Willis and a fourth-round pick for losing Romeo Doubs. However, signing unrestricted free agents cancels out losses in the formula, so teams have to weigh the possibility of losing a future draft pick when signing certain players.
Because Hargrave was released by the Vikings, he does not count in the formula and will not cost the Packers a comp pick in 2027. In an attempt to preserve the four comp picks, the Packers signed Hargrave as a street free agent and traded for linebacker Zaire Franklin -- two avenues of acquisition that do not hurt a team's position in the formula. Gutekunst also signed cornerback Benjamin St-Juste, an addition made possible by losing five free agents, and receiver/returner Skyy Moore, who isn't expected to factor into the formula because the base value of his deal is only $2.5 million.
Hargrave checked a lot of boxes for the Packers. He is a veteran with terrific past production at a major position of need. He played for Gannon in Philadelphia. And he did not factor into the comp formula.
The hypothetical: Would the Packers have signed Hargrave to a two-year, $23 million deal had he not been released by the Vikings and was instead an unrestricted free agent?
As it stands now, the Packers are expected to get a third- or fourth-round pick for Willis, a fourth-round pick for Doubs, a fifth-round pick for Quay Walker and a sixth-round pick for Kingsley Enagbare.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers admit compensatory pick formula factored into Javon Hargrave signing