Compensatory picks in the 2012 NFL Draft will be announced by the end of Monday, and the Dallas Cowboys should be expecting a fourth round pick
The NFL awards these picks to rosters impacted substantially by the previous year's crop of free agents. The squads that lose more talent than they bring in are awarded extra draft picks, with a special formula based on the given player's playing time and salary being used to determine which round the given team will gain a pick in.
Dallas gets its fourth-pick for the loss of Stephen Bowen in free agency to the Washington Redskins. With the Cowboys taking such a hit in salary cap for supposedly over-spending during the uncapped year, the extra draft pick for the Boys helps some
Read more about NFL free agency and draft coverage at the NFL hub page. For more on the Dallas Cowboys, read Blogging the Boys.