The New England Patriots traded LB Jamie Collins to the Cleveland Browns for a conditional 2018 4th round pick. The conditions depended on whether or not the Browns received a compensatory 3rd round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft for the departure of C Alex Mack to the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.
Well, Mack has met all the qualifications that translate to the Browns receiving a compensatory 3rd round pick, according to draft pick specialist Nick Korte.
Alex Mack being named should ensure the Patriots get the Browns' 3rd round 2017 compensatory pick for him.
— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) December 21, 2016
The compensatory draft pick process values the actual contract signed by the player, weighted by how much a player actually sees the field and by how many postseason awards a player receives.
Mack has played 97.9% of the Falcons offensive snaps in 2016, which pushes him ahead of players that received similar $9 million per year contracts, but played fewer snaps. Mack was also named to the 2017 NFC Pro Bowl roster, which further increases his standing.
The Falcons are still jockeying for seeding in the NFC, which means that Mack should continue to play. He is also up for All Pro consideration, which would enhance his status and solidify his status as a player in the top 5% of the league.
There’s a chance that the calculus might be off- and who knows what will happen with the NFL pulling the strings- but the Patriots should expect to receive a 2017 3rd round compensatory draft pick from the Browns that ranks around 103rd overall.
For those interested in how Collins has been performing, our Browns affiliate DawgsByNature.com believe that Cleveland has misused his talents and that he’s showing a lack of motivation.