NFL Rumors: St. Louis Rams won’t get compensatory pick for losing Cortland Finnegan

Dec 8, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; A detailed view of a St. Louis Rams helmet during warm ups before the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the rams 30-10. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 8, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; A detailed view of a St. Louis Rams helmet during warm ups before the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the rams 30-10. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 8, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; A detailed view of a St. Louis Rams helmet during warm ups before the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the rams 30-10. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 8, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; A detailed view of a St. Louis Rams helmet during warm ups before the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the rams 30-10. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports /

The St. Louis Rams lost cornerback Cortland Finnegan this offseason when he signed a deal with the Miami Dolphins, but all is not lost in St. Louis. The move the Rams made to allow Finengan to walk to the Dolphins is the type of deal that normally results in a compensatory pick heading the way of the team who lost their player, but that won’t be happening in this case.

According to ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner, the Rams will not be receiving a pick following the loss of Finnegan.

"Instead, the Rams will receive their parting gift much sooner from Finnegan’s departure. Details of Finnegan’s two-year, $11 million deal came out Monday afternoon. The contract includes $5.5 million in guaranteed money including the entirety of his $3.5 million 2014 salary."

This almost seems to be better for the Rams as it provides them with some salary cap breathing room. The best compensatory pick the Rams could have gotten for Finnegan was a late third-round pick and that wouldn’t have come until 2015.

Instead, they get instant cap relief and that may end up being more valuable than whatever compensatory pick they would have gotten.