This isn’t much of a silver lining, but it’s something. Marcus Williams agreeing to leave the New Orleans Saints on a five-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens in free agency could return a compensatory draft pick in 2023, depending on how the team’s other moves shake out.
It isn’t something to bank on too seriously just yet. If the Saints sign a qualifying free agent of their own (someone who has unrestricted status, and whose contract expired without them being released from it) to a similar value, that could negate a possible pick rewarded for letting Williams go.
So, for example, if the Saints sign pending free agent safety Tyrann Mathieu to a contract averaging $14 million per year then they wouldn’t qualify for a compensatory pick next year. But if they sign recently-cut wide receiver Jarvis Landry to a contract at the same average annual value, they would still project to get that extra selection.
