NFL reportedly nearing end of Patriots videotaping investigation

According to a new report, the NFL is expected to conclude its investigation into the New England Patriots’ videotaping scandal very soon.

For better or worse, we could soon have resolution with regards to Spygate 2.0.

The New England Patriots admitted that a production crew illegally filmed the Cincinnati Bengals’ sideline during a game against the Cleveland Browns. Though the crew had obtained proper credentials from the Browns, the Bengals were not aware that any filming activities had been sanctioned.

Furthermore, Bengals staffers caught the Patriots production crew — who were there ostensibly to shoot a segment for the team’s website (the “Do Your Job” series) — with their camera trained on the Bengals’ sideline. This was peculiar, considering the stated reason for the documentarians to be there was to film “a day in the life” of an advance scout for the franchise.

Unlike back in 2007 when the Patriots brass initially denied any wrongdoing during the original Spygate, New England immediately issued a statement admitting that the crew had done wrong and violated league policies. The Patriots did, however, deny any connection between the crew and the team’s football operations — a claim that was further supported by statements from Bill Belichick himself.

While it’s still unknown just what kind of discipline the league plans to levy against New England for breaking this rule, it is known that the NFL has actively been interviewing members of the crew and other individuals involved with the incident for several weeks now.

And according to a new report from Bleacher Report’s Adam Wells — who cites information from the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin — the league is nearing the conclusion of that investigation now.

Volin claims that league officials have completed all the necessary interviews for their investigation. They will now compile all their findings into a report, which will then be passed on to commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL offices.

There’s really no telling exactly what kind of discipline might befall the Patriots, but it’s worth noting that the team was docked their first-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft and a total of $750,000 for their role in the original Spygate ($500,000 for Belichick specifically and $250,000 for the team).