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As the NFL tries to create in-house judicial systems for the purposes of investigating violations of the Personal Conduct Policy and/or rules regarding the integrity of the game, the league needs to take a closer look at how the various roles in these investigations are being assigned and fulfilled. After carefully reviewing both the 243-page Ted Wells investigation report and the 20,000-word manifesto from the Patriots responding to that report, it’s clear that the current model doesn’t work as well as it should.
Wells was hired to serve as an independent investigator. At some point, his role morphed into that of special prosecutor and, inevitably, judge.