No 2024 Comp Picks Forecast for Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins will end up getting nothing as compensation for the departure of Mike Gesicki in free agency

The Miami Dolphins were without a compensatory pick for a third consecutive year in the 2023 NFL draft, and it looks like the streak will be moving to four years.

The last day of the free agency period this year to be factored in the compensatory pick formula was Monday, and the Dolphins' activity this offseason will not land them that elusive comp pick in the 2024 draft, according to the good folks at overthecap.com.

The compensatory pick formula is a highly complicated one, but the biggest factor is the net gain/loss of what are designated as compensatory free agents, this UFAs switching teams for a certain annual salary. There are other factors involved in the end, such as playing time and postseason honors, but this is the biggest one.

Per overthecap.com, the Dolphins' signing of linebacker David Long Jr. negated the potential sixth-round compensatory pick for tight end Mike Gesicki signing with New England, and the signing of QB Mike White negated a potential seventh-round pick for Elandon Roberts joining the Pittsburgh Steelers as a UFA.

Ironically, because the Jets lost more compensatory free agents than they signed, they're projected by overthecap.com to get a seventh-round pick for White, as well as another seventh-rounder for offensive lineman Dan Feeney, who also signed with the Dolphins.

Among the six projected third-round compensatory picks, three are expected to go to the San Francisco 49ers (for a second consecutive year) for the UFA loss of tackle Mike McGlinchey and also for having two minorities hired away as head coach or GM, DeMeco Ryans as Houston Texans head coach and Ran Carthon as Tennessee Titans GM.

THE MIKE GESICKI DISAPPOINTMENT

The Dolphins not being able to land a comp pick for Gesicki has to be considered a major disappointment after the team placed the franchise tag on him last offseason.

It absolutely should be pointed out that that move was done before the opportunity to trade for Tyreek Hill materialized, and by that time Gesicki already has signed the tag and the Dolphins were on the hook for $10.7 million in 2023.

While no Dolphins official has addressed this question (or been asked, to be fair), it's pretty safe to assume that Gesicki would not have been tagged had the team known it was going to land Hill, whose addition made Gesicki an afterthought on offense.

As it turned out, the Dolphins didn't get anywhere near the production from Gesicki to justify the tag money.

One can wonder why the Dolphins didn't simply trade Gesicki in 2023, though it's possible they didn't get an offer nearly good enough to give away a potential contributor for the passing game while the team was making a run at the playoffs that ended with its first postseason appearance since 2016.

For those wondering whether the Dolphins would have gotten a comp pick in the 2023 draft had they simply let Gesicki leave as a free agency last offseason, that answer is no. And that's even if he had signed a big-money deal because his free agency loss would have been negated by the free agent signing of tackle Terron Armstead.

THE DOLPHINS' COMPENSATORY PICK HISTORY

As mentioned earlier, the Dolphins haven't had a compensatory pick since 2020, which was the draft that followed the offseason when the team reset its roster and lost Cameron Wake and Ja'Wuan James in free agency.

The Dolphins got picks in the fourth and seventh rounds that year, though they ended up trading both away — it should be noted that compensatory picks at one point were not allowed to be traded.

Over the past 20 drafts, the Dolphins have been awarded 22 compensatory picks, which ranks 24th among NFL teams, far behind the Baltimore Ravens, who lead the way with 55.

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