With the uncapped year coming up, the rules for restricted free agency are much different.  As I was browsing the tender amounts today, it got me to thinking about something.  Marcus Spearswill be a restricted free agent this offseason, with 5 years of active service.  It has been well discussed on this blog that losing Spears or Bowen is a real possibility.  He's obviously played well enough to warrant the salary that comes along with the first round tender ($2.621 million).  But since he was originally a first round pick, wouldn't the original pick compensation tender also allow us to pick up a 1 if he were signed away, and at a much lower price ($1.226 million)?  Am I interpreting the rules correctly here?  And if I am, doesn't this seem like the best of both worlds for us?  If someone were to sign him away, we would end up with another first round pick, something Spears surely would never fetch in a trade.  And if he signs his tender, then we end up with a solid, but not spectacular, starter for less than $1.25 million.  Seems like a win-win situation to me.