New England Patriots: 3 comments on 2021 compensatory draft picks

Third, the Patriots lost a third-round pick due to mini-cameragate. 

Something’s been lost in the rough and tumble offseason of angst because the New England Patriots’ former quarterback went on to win another Super Bowl in Tampa Bay.

With all the conjecture about that and the direction in which the Patriots may go for their next quarterback, a certain fact has been buried to some extent.

As noted, our favorite team has at least gained a third-round pick (however valueless they may be to their draft operation) at the loss of the greatest quarterback of all time. Some consolation though not much really.

But, lost in all the hubbub is the fact that this team at whomever’s direction went ahead and again filmed a team against NFL rules. You may recall a certain Spygate scenario a few years back.

Well, this time, having failed to learn their lessons like good school people should, they filmed the Cincinnati Bengals in a way that once again contravened NFL rules.

So what was the cost there, you might ask (if you hadn’t already noticed)? Yes, a third-round draft pick in the self-same 2021 NFL Draft late in April and early May. That pick is forfeited due to another “gate” along with a measly $1.1M fine.

People around the NFL will say that it’s because the Patriots were cheating again. And you know what, it’s getting harder to counter those comments the more this club persists in violating the rules of the league by which they agree to abide.

And frankly, as a long-time Patriots fan, longer than I’d like to admit, they deserve the docking of that pick and the fine. They just don’t ever seem to get the message to stop violating the rules.

So that’s it, the story of the New England Patriots’ 2021 compensatory picks to this point.