The Atlanta Falcons did the New England Patriots a solid by blowing a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl LI, and they’re still doing them favors weeks later. As it turns out, the Falcons signing former Cleveland Browns center Alex Mack last offseason ended up benefiting the Patriots:
Falcons are still finding ways to help Patriots even after the Super Bowl
This time, it involves the draft.
When the Patriots traded Jamie Collins to the Browns, it was for a conditional 2018 fourth-round pick. But there’s a catch.
Those conditions depended on whether the Browns received a compensatory third-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft for Mack’s departure in free agency, which they ultimately did. Compensatory draft pick values are weighed by the contract signed by the player, along with how often they see the field, as well as any postseason accolades they receive.
Because Mack played in a majority of the Falcons’ offensive snaps and was named to the Pro Bowl, it increased his standing, thus giving the Browns the third-round pick designation that went to New England.
The pick was announced on Friday afternoon along with the rest of the compensatory draft selections. This will be the first time that the picks will be available to be traded.
Mack was key in the team’s Super Bowl run, and even played in the big game with a fractured leg. The center finished second in All-Pro voting behind the Dallas Cowboys’ Travis Frederick.
So acquiring Mack was a really good deal for the Falcons — even if they ended up throwing the Patriots some help.
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