History Lesson: Dolphins and Comp Picks

The NFL handed out its 2021 NFL draft compensatory picks Wednesday, and the Miami Dolphins were shut out as everyone should have known for a while.

Because the Dolphins signed 11 unrestricted free agents and lost only three in 2020, there never was a question of them being able to get one of the 36 comp picks that were awarded based on the complicated formula that awards teams compensatory picks for net losses in unrestricted free agent signings from the previous years.

Two of them went to the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams based on the new rule giving teams a compensatory pick for having a minority member of their organization get hired as a coach or general manager.

The 49ers got a third-round pick for the New York Jets hiring Robert Saleh as head coach; and the Rams got a third-round selection for the Detroit Lions hiring Brad Holmes as general manager.

The Dolphins did get two compensatory picks in the 2020 draft, though they ended up using neither on a player.

They traded their fourth-round compensatory pick, the result of losing Cameron Wake to Tennessee, as part of their deal with Houston to move up in the fourth round to select guard Solomon Kindley.

And then they traded their seventh-round compensatory pick (the 251st overall) to Seattle for a sixth-round pick in this year's draft.

The previous time the Dolphins had gotten compensatory picks was in 2017 when they ended up with three of them.

That came after a 2016 offseason when the Dolphins signed three free agents (Isa Abdul-Quddus, Andre Branch and Sam Young) and lost four (Rishard Matthews, Lamar Miller, Derrick Shelby and Olivier Vernon).

The placement of the compensatory picks is based on salary, playing time and postseason accolades, which is why the New England Patriots got the highest 2021 compensatory pick for losing Tom Brady to Tampa Bay.

In that 2017 draft, the Dolphins used their compensatory picks on CB Cordrea Tankersley in Round 3, DT Davon Godchaux in Round 5 and used another fifth-round comp pick to move up in the round and take guard Isaac Asiata.

That 2017 draft marked the first year that teams were allowed to trade a compensatory pick; until then they were forced to use the pick to select a player.

Compensatory picks began in 1994, which coincided with the start of an NFL salary cap.

The most significant Dolphins draft when it comes to compensatory picks came in 1997 when they were awarded three of them — all of them in the third round.

The Dolphins used those on linebackers Derrick Rodgers and Ronnie Ward and offensive lineman Brent Smith. Ironically, those came after the Dolphins used their own pick in that round, which they used on a skinny defensive end out of Akron.

His name: Jason Taylor.

Here is the rundown of Dolphins compensatory picks through the years:

1995 — WR Shannon Myers, Round 7

1996 — WR Brice Hunter, Round 7

1997 — LB Derrick Rodgers, Round 3; LB Ronnie Ward, Round 3; T Brent Smith, Round 3

1999 — T Joe Wong, Round 7

2002 — WR Sam Simmons, Round 5

2003 — WR J.R. Tolver, Round 5; T Tim Provost, Round 6; S Yeremiah Bell, Round 6; DT Davern Williams, Round 7

2008 — RB Lex Hilliard, Round 6; DE Lionel Dotson, Round 7

2010 — LB Austin Spitler, Round 7

2011 — DB Jimmy Wilson, Round 7

2013 — K Caleb Sturgis, Round 5; DB Don Jones, Round 7

2017 — CB Cordrea Tankersley, Round 3; DT Davon Godchaux, Round 5; fifth-round pick traded

2020 — Fourth-round pick traded; seventh-round pick traded