The good news in the Ravens' trade for wide receiver Anquan Boldin is that Baltimore gained a top-flight receiver to plug into its offense.
The flip side is that the Ravens had to forfeit third- and fourth-round picks in a draft that Ravens Director of College Scouting **Joe Hortiz** has dubbed good and deep. For a franchise that likes to horde as many picks as possible, giving up selections isn't taken lightly.
Baltimore currently has just five total picks in April's draft. If they don't gain any more, they would make the fewest draft selections in the organization's history.
However, there's still more than six weeks left before the Draft on April 22. And if Baltimore fans have learned nothing else, they should know that General Manager **Ozzie Newsome** can have some tricks up his sleeve.
During Monday's press conference, Newsome didn't seem to be overly concerned about the Ravens' lack of picks.
"Today we got 'Q' done," Newsome said. "Tomorrow, who knows what could happen. I just take it one day at a time."
In addition to the picks the Ravens traded to Arizona, Baltimore also lost its seventh-round selection as part of their 2008 trade for defensive end Marques Douglas. The Ravens would have received a seventh-round pick from the Patriots this year, as they traded Prescott Burgess for a conditional pick back in September of 2009, but Burgess didn't play in any games for the Pats and thus didn't satisfy the conditions of the trade.
Here are several ways in which Newsome can obtain some more picks:
Restricted Free Agents Sign Elsewhere
Process: The Ravens extended tenders to 15 of their restricted free agents. That means if one of those players is signed by another team and the Ravens decline to match the offer, Baltimore would receive whatever draft pick with which that player was tendered.
Past Example: No records of any
Outlook: Rumors are floating that there is interest in Ravens starting left tackle **Jared Gaither**, who received a first-round tender. It's unknown whether there have been any steps taken.
Trade Players
Process: The Ravens could always trade a player for draft picks. This could happen on draft day or before the draft.
Past Example:This option has been extremely rare in Ravens history.* *The Burgess trade was the most recent. The most high-profile was back in 1997 when the Ravens traded tackle Tony Jones to Denver for a second round pick, which Baltimore used to select safety Kim Herring.
Outlook: As mentioned before, Smith's agent has begged for a trade on Twitter but that doesn't mean it's going to happen. Head Coach **John Harbaugh** and Director of Player Personnel **Eric DeCosta** have each said they like their current team. "This is not a fire sale situation," DeCosta said. "We like our players."
Receive Compensatory Picks
Process: A team is eligible to receive compensatory draft picks if it is determined that they lost more or better players than they were able to acquire during the previous year's free agency period. The number of picks a team receives (maximum of four) equals the net loss of compensatory free agents.
Past Example: The Ravens have received compensatory picks in eight of their 14 drafts, including six straight years leading up to 2009, when they had none. In 2008, the Ravens drafted tackle **Oniel Cousins**, guard **David Hale**, safety **Haruki Nakamura** and running back Allen Patrick with compensatory picks.
Outlook: Baltimore is expected to be in line for some picks this year. Last offseason, the Ravens lost three key defensive players in linebacker Bart Scott, safety Jim Leonhard and defensive end Marques Douglas and center Jason Brown signed a mega-deal with the St. Louis Rams. Baltimore, meanwhile, signed free agent center Matt Birk and cornerbacks **Domonique Foxworth** and **Chris Carr**.
Trade Back in the Draft
Process: Teams often swap picks on draft day in an effort to move up or back in the draft. If the Ravens didn't have a player they covet available when they pick at No. 25, for example, they could move back in the first round or even to the second round via trade. In the process, they could pick up extra draft selections.
Past Example: The Ravens have never traded out of the first round. They have often moved within the first round, however. In 2008 they moved back from 8th overall in the first round to 26th, then moved back up to 18th to select Joe Flacco. In the process they gained a fourth-round pick. They also traded back in the second round from No. 38 to No. 55, where they took Ray Rice. The Ravens got a third-round pick in the trade.
Outlook: There hasn't been any news or reports about the Ravens being interested in trading their first round pick. But Newsome has certainly shown a penchant for draft-day deals before, so there's no telling what could happen.
