Compensatory Picks -- Can someone explain the justification?

[That Guy]

Originally Posted by Alvin Walton

The Packers get two 4th rounders.
WTF?

because they let their FAs walk. look at the bottom of the article, they lost like 5 players and signed NONE. so that's why.

and for why the system exists - it gives teams that want to be cheap or get burnt by losing a good player a token to make up for it. I don't really think it's needed, but i assume enough owners like it (the ones that typically avoid big FA sprees) that they won't be crying out to get it removed any time soon.