Compensatory picks are real. And will get a same or higher pick than he would in a trade IMO.
This forum has overvalued our back up QBs as trade assets for years, I got tired of reading how Luke McCown would pull in a very high pick, for example ?
If we'd have locked Teddy up for 2 to 3 years when we re-signed him last season, we'd likely be able to get a 2nd or even a 1st round pick for him this year. But that wasn't going to happen, because I believe the potential windfall Teddy's about to get was the bait that Sean Payton used to get him to stay one more year with us.
And if he does cash in big time... that unforeseen 5 game stretch where Drew was out will be the main reason for his payday. One of those rare times in life where things actually fall perfectly into place for a deserving person.