Obviously Montgomery's not going to happen after trading for Robinson, but I think this is worth pointing out regardless. 1. Comp picks are based on how many FA's you lose AND how many FA's you sign. 2. Salary is a component of it. Considering the way RB has been devalued, that's definitely worth noting. The best/most prominent comparable to Montgomery would probably be Melvin Gordon is 2021. Based on OverTheCap's tracker, losing Gordon to Denver at $8 million AAV would have been a 5th rounder, that the Chargers didn't get since it was negated by their signing of Bryan Bulaga. IF the Jets weren't active in FA, renting Montgomery might have netted a pick at the end of round 5 in 2024. https://overthecap.com/compensatory-picks
We haven’t seen JD work yet as GM of a contending team. If the Robinson trade is any indication who knows what else we may have in store by Nov 1.