Maybe I'm missing something in the OP, but are you suggesting the Pats would
possibly not lose draft picks if the pressure difference was caused by a force of nature? Or are you suggesting if the range of the change of pressure falls within the PSI resulting from intentional deflation, then maybe they might not lose as much in the way of picks? In option (1), the Pats are potentially docked draft picks due to Mother Nature. In option (2), they deliberately deflated the footballs and are given more lenient treatment because the NFL with its billions finally figured out laws of chemistry, despite apparent misdeed by the team. I submit both possibilities would not comport with a sense of fairness as the former implies punishment for no misconduct while the latter is simply misconduct which ends in a fortunate result and thus a lesser sentence (a reduced sentence for what the NFL contends is a pattern of deliberate rule-breaking).
There are plenty of possibilities in what transpired at the owners meeting, both good and bad. Politicians routinely change their positions on issues. Whether that reflects a nefarious motivation (e.g, pressure from special interest groups) or an honorable motivation (e.g., actions that honor political platforms/goals) often turns on the 'why', which is a product of closed and potentially unknowable dealings between interested parties.
Kraft
used Connecticut to leverage his current stadium deal. That was business, and I can accept that. While he has done some good for the Patriots, he is not a saint so I would not strain to put a positive spin on events to date. He could have said "Rog, these sanctions come off or your done" and Goody responded "Absolutely, just turn off your public scorn and it all goes away with the appeal." Or maybe it was Rog saying "If you want the Super Bowl in MA, this stuff stops now" and Kraft responded "Done. I look forward to hosting the big game." It is clear the Brady and Patriots issues are absolutely the same problem. It is also clear Kraft's explanations to date on his reason for backing off do not sit well with anyone who has spent time on the Wells report or NFL actions to date. For now, I will wait until its done for Kraft to provide a valid and coherent explanation for his actions.
