The Patriots sent a clear Deflategate message to Roger Goodell and the NFL just as the draft started

Brett Carlsen/Getty ImagesTom Brady.

The New England Patriots do not have a first-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft as part of their harsh Deflategate punishment handed to them by the NFL.

While the Patriots might be the team best suited to find players elsewhere in the draft, they’re undoubtedly still upset about missing out on the top-tier talent. Robert Kraft even admitted that he wrote a letter to Commissioner Roger Goodell asking him to give the Patriots their pick back.

Regardless, just as the draft began, the Patriots sent a quick message to Goodell and the NFL on Instagram, letting them know that they will get over the lost pick.

The message seems pretty clear and simple. First, Tom Brady was a sixth-round draft pick, so the Patriots can find talent anywhere.

Second, they won’t be forgetting Deflategate anytime soon. Brady recently had his four-game suspension for Deflategate reinstated. When he returns, he and the rest of the Patriots will be out to prove a point.