Tom Brady and the Patriots are awaiting possible league sanctions in wake of Ted Wells' report on Deflategate. Here's how the league ruled in some cases that dealt with violations that are in a similar realm.
Most of these are cases that fall under the umbrella of being a calculated attempt to avoid rules.
TEXTGATE
CASE — Browns general manager Ray Farmer texted a team official during a game last season, violating an NFL rule prohibiting such communication.
RULING — Farmer was suspended four games and the team fined $250,000 for the impermissible texting. The NFL reportedly considered docking the Browns a midround draft pick, but opted against that possibly because the texts to the coaches were opinions not designed to give the team a competitive advantage.