Oh No, The Pats Are Losing One Of Their Two First Round Picks. Whatever Will The Franchise Do?

This penalty doesn't mean shit for the Pats, but it does serve as a pretty solid deterrent, so that's something.
Let me preface this with two things. First, I just killed a bottle of Brunello Di Montalcino (2000 - delicious) solo and am not 100% sober. Second, I am an out in the open, smug Patriots homer and do not apologize for it. So when you read what you're about to read, it will help to know these facts.

So the Pats are losing a 1st rounder (possibly) and a bunch of cash. Boo Fucking Hoo. They had two first rounders as it was and if they don't make the playoffs (which is highly unlikely), they had a couple extra picks in the later rounds anyway. The pick that the NFL will take away from them would be "their pick" (as opposed to the pick they receive from SF). That means, in all likelihood that they'll have to give up pick 28-32 or something like that. They will still have their earlier pick from San Fran which, with any luck, will be around 14-15. So basically, the Pats lost the last pick in the first round in the draft and about a three quarter mil (500k coming from coach B). That's a hell of a deterrent for a normal team who depends on first round talent to build their franchise for the future. But for the Patriots, it doesn't mean shit.

The Pats gain extra early round picks every year. They always have more picks than everyone else because Pioli and Belichick are better at evaluating talent than everyone else. So while it sucks that the Pats won't get 2 of the best 32 players in the draft next year, they will now only one pick like everyone else. So the whole "comparitive advantage" thing that everyone talks about is set back to even (at least in terms of the draft) and the penalty is only going to tangentially affect how much better they become in the future. Really it just slows their progress.

That being said, what else did you want Goodell to do? Ban Belichick? That wouldn't have done shit as either a deterrent or an immediate impact. If you tell Belichick he's out for week 3 (or the next Jets game or the next 3 games), that just means that Belichick will spend the next 72 hours killing himself preparing for those teams. To deter OTHER TEAMS from breaking the rules, you had to take away a first rounder. That it doesn't affect the Patriots is a shame but he had to set a serious precedent, and he did. You wanted the Pats held accountable and wanted the league to come down hard. They were and the NFL did. That's what you pussies have been bitching about for the last 4 days, right?

Sincerely,
Smug Snickering Pats Fan