The Pats are really going to miss that 1st round pick that could have gone into a LB that they so badly needed. The taping infraction is going to hurt their ability to compete for the top spot over the next few years.
Losing one draft pick, particularly since they already had the 49ers 1st round pick won't hurt them that badly. The Giants lost several key players to knee injuries during their title run. Teams lose players. It happens all the time.
How are they using their anti-trust power? They own he product and put the content out to bid for broadcast rights. In the case of the NFL network they decided to put their product on their own channel. If an MSO/CATV provider doesn’t want to carry their channel then that’s the provider’s decision. The games are what cause demand for the channel.
What team doesn’t have use for a 1st rounder? That pick has real value either to select a player for a deficient position or as an asset to trade. This year the Pats could have drafted a CB with the #7, a LB with the 31st pick then taken another player like a LB/OL with their second round pick. Losing that pick hurts more than you know. Last year