Nice Aus! What a victory it would be to get it all back (and give hope that justice/what's right can prevail). But, as I am sure that was as much of a wishlist as anything, it is unlikely it is all going to be repealed. So while I understand how most everyone here feels, the Patriots/Kraft at some point have to be or will be pragmatic. Pragmatism says: (i) Goodell is not going to fully backdown. (ii) there appears to be a lot of contractual wording that says Goodell is within his right to almost arbitrarily levy the punishment against the Patriots. (iii) For the team to get all picks back and the fine erased, it means a judge will have to order it. Isn't it almost unprecedented for a judge to do something like that (which means chances of it happening are at best murky)?
I think any deal that (A) get's the #1 pick back and (B) makes it clear that the Patriots completely maintain their innocence, I think it is a deal that needs to be seriously considered. There just is so little chance we get it all back that it isn't unwise to salvage what we can get back (and that #1 has to be the main priority).
But I don't see any deal happening unless Kraft and Brady get together and work the compromise together. Since I don't see that happening (Brady should rightly fight this to the death) the league is potentially open to a significant PR hit on two separate fronts at two different times. First, since the league perched themselves so high on a moral pedestal, backing down to the Patriots (giving back the first round pick) would cause them to take a major hit. Second, after the hit and the issue with the Patriots behind them, they remain exposed to another major hit later on if/when Brady's legal team wins the day. With Brady seemingly having avenues open to him that a team does not, the league is exposed to a judge/authority proclaiming the evidence does not support conviction and the league acted badly.
IMHO the league knows the real score and know their public words and stances are at least a partial facade. They know what they have brutally smeared a man and a team based upon very very shaky ground. Ultimately it just doesn't make sense for the league to compromise. Their best chance at not taking a major PR hit on either front is to fight the Patriots and Kraft for the duration, and let a judge/legal authority cause the PR hit (instead of ding it to themselves on two separate fronts).