Beside the name of Tom Brady in the draft section of the "NFL 2000 Record & Fact Book" is an asterisk, denoting that the three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback was a compensatory selection that spring.
Next to the mythical punctuation mark that reportedly accompanied Roger Maris' historic 61 home runs in 1961, one could argue pretty convincingly that Brady's asterisk is the most significant one in sports history.
And most franchises in the NFL wish they had one or more just like it.
The more asterisks in the annual "Record & Fact Book" (more recently replaced by "plus" signs), the more compensatory draft picks that year. The more compensatory choices for a team, the bigger the overall size of a club's draft class. And the bigger the class, the better the odds of securing a bounty in the league's annual draft.
In a league where draft picks have become the preferred currency of choice, compensatory selections aren't quite as good as gold, because by rule they cannot be traded to another club. But the compensatory picks, awarded every spring since 1994, are certainly gold-plated. Most teams look forward every spring to the announcement by league officials of compensatory picks and rely on them.
"Every [compensatory pick] is important, because it really represents a potential player for you, a guy who theoretically can make your team," said Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis after his club was recently awarded a league-high four additional choices in the 2009 draft, raising the Bengals' draft windfall for this year to 11 prospects. "It gives you an opportunity to take another guy you otherwise might not have gotten. It provides some flexibility for a team as it makes its plans for the draft."
The NFL awards about 32 compensatory choices annually, to supplement the draft classes of those franchises that suffered a net loss in free agency the previous year. Like the secret recipe for Coca-Cola, the formula used by NFL officials to determine compensatory choices is pretty much unknown, or murky at best.
Example: The Pittsburgh Steelers were privately confident they would receive a high-round compensatory choice for last year's departure of Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca to the Jets via free agency. But because of an esoteric and Byzantine rule that discounts the value of a free agent who is 30 or older, Pittsburgh's 2009 draft class was augmented by only a fifth-round pick.
But even with their disappointment, the Steelers will take the fifth-rounder and, given their proven draft acumen, will probably turn it into a viable prospect.
There clearly are franchises with superior success in the draft, and receiving some compensatory picks usually fattens the draft classes of teams like Baltimore, New England, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The additional choices, awarded to 16 teams this year at the recent owners' meeting, gives those clubs an edge in the draft.
Some teams, however, possess a special knack for making the extra picks pay off handsomely.
Baltimore general manager Ozzie Newsome has long been regarded as one of the NFL's craftiest draft experts, and that success certainly extends to his compensatory selections. The Ravens were shut out of compensatory picks this year. But since 1994, Baltimore has been awarded 29 extra choices, a league high.
Seven other franchises have collected more than 20 compensatory picks each, but few have enjoyed the rate of success that Baltimore has enjoyed. And, obviously, no one has found another Brady. Indicative of Newsome's track record with the additional choices, 10 of the Ravens' 29 compensatory picks are on the current Baltimore roster, and six more are currently employed by other NFL teams.
Cleveland has received just one compensatory selection, the fewest in the NFL, and six other franchises have gotten fewer than 10 choices since the additional picks were implemented for the 1994 draft. Tennessee tied Cincinnati for the most compensatory picks this year, with four.
There were four third-round picks awarded this year, with the Patriots getting the highest, the 97th overall selection. A breakdown of the other 2009 compensatory picks: four in the fourth round, five in the fifth round, four in the sixth round and 15 in the seventh.
"It's always a bonus to get [compensatory picks]," Newsome said. "For a personnel guy or a scout, it's like Christmas came early. You don't count on getting [the extra picks], but you sure can use them."
Most compensatory picks lack the profile of Brady, a two-time Super Bowl MVP, and probably the best compensatory pick ever. But there are some standouts among the compensatory alums, and several more have become serviceable contributors. Personnel directors clearly embrace the extra bodies. That's why teams pay so much attention to the compensatory choices awarded not just to them but to rivals, as well.
In fact, some team officials formulate their plans for the future based on the ramifications of compensatory picks. A year ago, for instance, San Diego general manager, A.J. Smith opined that he might offset the free-agency departure of tailback Michael Turner to Atlanta by receiving a third-round compensatory pick for his loss. But the Chargers received only two compensatory choices, both fourth-rounders, when they were awarded last month.
Even though the recent results for compensatory picks have been mixed, general managers and personnel directors still enjoy playing with "house money." Last season, 17 of the 32 compensatory selections made opening-day rosters, and six more were on practice squads. Arguably, the most notable contributor was Washington Redskins defensive back Chris Horton of UCLA. A seventh-round choice, the 349th selection overall, Horton played in 14 games and made 10 starts.
The upshot: As a compensatory pick, Brady's value may be unequaled, and it will be difficult to find any player of his ilk among the extra choices. But teams know they can locate serviceable players, prospects they otherwise might not have drafted, in the compensatory pool.
Senior writer Len Pasquarelli covers the NFL for ESPN.com.