There has been a ton of speculation surrounding the penalty that the NFL would hand down on Tom Brady and the Patriots in light of the #Deflategate scandal.
Some thought Goodell would take it easy on Brady and company because of his close relationship to Robert Kraft.
So much for that theory. Per Adam Schefter, the NFL came down hard on the Patriots:
Filed to ESPN: Tom Brady suspended four games, Pats lose 1st round pick in 2016 and a 4th in 2017, and team fined $1 million, per source:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 11, 2015
Given the rampant cheating that goes on in the NFL daily, this seems to be a little heavy handed. I would not at all be surprised if the suspension is reduced to two games, and the draft pick forfeiture reduced to a second round pick.
The Patriots will have to rely on second round draft pick Jimmy Garoppolo, from Eastern Illinois. He won the Walter Payton Award in 2013 and has limited experience in the NFL, completing 19-27 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown last year.
If the suspension is upheld, it will have an impact on the Eagles season. The Patriots Week 5 opponent (the Patriots have a bye week Week 4, so Brady's suspension will carry over to the week 5 game)? The Dallas Cowboys.
UPDATE: The NFL released a statement explaining the punishment, which came at the suggestion of former Philadelphia Eagle Troy Vincent. The full statement can be found here.
Patrick Causey is a writer at Eagledelphia and can be followed on Twitter @PhillySportsJD
