May 7 doesn’t sound like it would be an important date on the NFL calendar, but it is! Or at least it is for the some teams. Starting today at 4 p.m. ET, teams can sign unrestricted free agents without hurting their standing in the league’s compensatory-pick formula for 2020. And while most of you may not be paying attention, some of the NFL’s best teams have been.
How does this all work? Here are a few things for you to file away …
The formula is based on net gain: That is to say, simply losing a big-time free agent doesn’t mean your team is getting a pick commensurate to his value.