The NFL handed out it’s compensation picks for this year’s NFL draft today, and the Houston Texans were awarded only a seventh round pick. It was thought that the team might be able to get more by the local media, considering that Dunta Robinson signed an enormous contract with the Atlanta Falcons. However, even simple reverse engineering of the formula showed that the Texans would likely only receive a seventh-rounder because they started two free agents last season: Wade Smith and Neil Rackers.
The Texans weren’t handed a seventh-rounder for the loss of Robinson, but rather because the formula calls for there to be 32 compensation picks. According to ESPN’s Paul Kuharsky, the pick will be the last of the entire draft (253rd overall), meaning the Texans will finally get their own Mr. Irrelevant. It also will likely be the last morsel of non-litigation/bargaining related NFL news this offseason, as it seems fairly unlikely that the players and owners will agree to the deal before the NFL Draft on April