Boston Mag: NFL wins no matter what because of lost picks

[QuantumMechanic]

Always remember, regardless of how this litigation turns out...

Stripping the Patriots of a first-round pick robs them of the opportunity to land the next Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork, or Logan Mankins. The fourth-round selection isn’t insignificant, either. Belichick has drafted two Pro Bowlers, Asante Samuel and Stephen Gostkowski, from that spot.

Despite his harsh rhetoric directed at the league office, owner Robert Kraft accepted the Deflategate penalties in late May. Instead of risking a drawn-out legal battle against the league, and in turn his 31 billionaire owner counterparts, Kraft decided to submit. Capitulating was a good move for Robert Kraft, power-broker. It was a bad move for Robert Kraft, owner of the Patriots.

http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2015/09/01/patriots-deflategate-losers/

 

[FourierSeries]

NE wins in the end because Lombardi trophy #5 is coming to Foxboro this season.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Unfortunately true. I have a pipe dream in which the award is vacated, Goodell is ultimately forced to resign in disgrace, and the next commissioner restores the picks as a show of good faith. Or that the award gets vacated, after which Kraft threatens to go nuclear on the league and the team punishments are rescinded in order to placate him.

But yeah, neither will ever happen, and I think this is a huge part of why the sanctions on the Patriots were so huge. Goodell had to know that if Brady took him to court he might lose, but stripping the Pats of picks ensures that the league wouldn't come away empty-handed. The loss of the picks stings, but at least if we get overall vindication on this hatchet job through Brady's punishment getting thrown out, it'll ultimately sting less.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

Thanks Bob.

 

[patsfan13]

Yeah Kraft screwed the pooch, w e lost the picks. When we win the SB don't allow Goodell on stage. Turn backs to him refuse to accept award from him. No one poses with Goodell.

 

[deters]

While i'm super pissed about the draft picks, they are a crap shoot. Look at all the 2nd and 3rd round picks we've done jack with. While BB has better history with 1st rd, it still isn't 100%. If we can get Brady ruling overturned and with hopefully honesty with testing this year, maybe they reverse fines/picks or lower them. Highly doubtful, but never know what backlash could build once cold weather games hit and more people aren't ignorant to changes in PSI due to temps.

 

[borg]

While i'm super pissed about the draft picks, they are a crap shoot. Look at all the 2nd and 3rd round picks we've done jack with. While BB has better history with 1st rd, it still isn't 100%. If we can get Brady ruling overturned and with hopefully honesty with testing this year, maybe they reverse fines/picks or lower them. Highly doubtful, but never know what backlash could build once cold weather games hit and more people aren't ignorant to changes in PSI due to temps.

It took 8 years to raise a Lombardi after the Spygate draft pick penalty. Could an extra premium player on the rosters of the two losing NE Super Bowl losers have helped them win more hardware?
......DEFINITELY

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Hobnobbing with the other 31 >>> 1st round draft picks (Well to one owner anyway)

 

[varjao]

The only chance to recover those picks is Berman ruling in a way to make Goodell looks worse than he looks now, then if the NFL PR take a huge hit, the only way for the owners to save face is put another commissioner in charge to review all of the last Goodell proceedings, then there's a small chance a light of honesty shines in NFL's front office and they erase completely this episode.

If that happens, I will write my letter for Santa Claus asking for a new bike.

 

[Ring 6]

Actually the NFL loses because such a stupid action only hurts them.
The Patriots lose. Brady loses, no matter the verdict because this witch hunt has stained his impeccable reputation. No one wins.

 

[XLIX]

Unfortunately true. I have a pipe dream in which the award is vacated, Goodell is ultimately forced to resign in disgrace, and the next commissioner restores the picks as a show of good faith. Or that the award gets vacated, after which Kraft threatens to go nuclear on the league and the team punishments are rescinded in order to placate him.

Yikes! My pipe dream is much more mild. Mine is that they measure balls all season, we discover the Patriots' measurements from January are perfectly in line with everyone else, and public pressure forces a reinstatement of the picks.

 

[IllegalContact]

stop blaming kraft........there was nothing he could do except mope in public......

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

I remain positive that this fiasco plus the PR poopstorm that's coming with the concussion movie will force the NFL to make some much needed changes for the better.

 

[patsfan13]

While i'm super pissed about the draft picks, they are a crap shoot. Look at all the 2nd and 3rd round picks we've done jack with. While BB has better history with 1st rd, it still isn't 100%. If we can get Brady ruling overturned and with hopefully honesty with testing this year, maybe they reverse fines/picks or lower them. Highly doubtful, but never know what backlash could build once cold weather games hit and more people aren't ignorant to changes in PSI due to temps.

Tell me a first round pick BB has missed on?

 

[BradyFTW!]

While i'm super pissed about the draft picks, they are a crap shoot. Look at all the 2nd and 3rd round picks we've done jack with. While BB has better history with 1st rd, it still isn't 100%. If we can get Brady ruling overturned and with hopefully honesty with testing this year, maybe they reverse fines/picks or lower them. Highly doubtful, but never know what backlash could build once cold weather games hit and more people aren't ignorant to changes in PSI due to temps.

Generally, yeah, but 1st rounders aren't really crap shoots with Belichick. The jury's still out on Easley and Brown, but otherwise Belichick has made 13 first round picks and 11 of them have become, at worst, notably above average cheap multi-year starters.

Maroney and Meriweather ended up being busts, but after that you're looking at Ben Watson / Daniel Graham as pretty much the baseline minimum of what you're getting with a first round pick (at #32 overall).

 

[RobertWeathers]

It took 8 years to raise a Lombardi after the Spygate draft pick penalty. Could an extra premium player on the rosters of the two losing NE Super Bowl losers have helped them win more hardware?
......DEFINITELY

Right. We have no idea what could have came of that pick.

We do know three things.

1. A talented player would have been available.
2. BB does a very good job of nailing 1st round draft choices. Not all are All-Pros but all of them have contributed at a pretty good level.
3. BB's 1st round draft choices typically produce in year one and produce more 4 years later.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Tell me a first round pick BB has missed on?

I still have trouble with calling Maroney a miss, since I think he was a good talent who just got derailed by unforeseeable injuries. But even I think we can all agree that Meriweather was a miss.

 

[strngplyr]

Yeah Kraft screwed the pooch, w e lost the picks. When we win the SB don't allow Goodell on stage. Turn backs to him refuse to accept award from him. No one poses with Goodell.

Nah, invite him on stage, make it as awkward as possible for him.

"Well, Roger, bet you sure didn't expect this four months ago!"

 

[TomPatriot]

Since having its first round pick stolen by Goodell in 2008, over the last seven seasons, the Patriots have won a Super Bowl, been to another, gone to the AFC Championship four times in a row and made the playoffs every one of those seven seasons.

Since I still contend this sordid melodrama is only about hurting the New England Patriots and nothing else, what the NFL has "won" here is pretty sketchy.

Still, it is true that Kraft wimped out badly on this one and I lost a lot of respect for him.

 

[deters]

It took 8 years to raise a Lombardi after the Spygate draft pick penalty. Could an extra premium player on the rosters of the two losing NE Super Bowl losers have helped them win more hardware?
......DEFINITELY

Without a doubt it would help, but also Belichick wasting draft picks in the 2nd and 3rd rounds on busts doesn't help either. The extra pick wouldn't have helped in the 07 Super Bowl, however it might've impacted the 2010-current playoffs. It most certainly could've helped in SB 46, that is if it was an impact secondary or defensive line player. I would rather have the pick than not, but honestly there are more 1st rd busts than there are lengthy career players imo.