I remain convinced that the very same "Oh, Kraft has done so much for Roger, he's basically assistant Commissioner!" rationale that people thought would lead Roger to be fair and balanced in January 2015 is actually what motivated other owners, and probably Roger himself, to refrain from any defense of Kraft whatsoever.
It's not just that the Patriots were "too good", it was that Kraft was was getting "too powerful."
And it worked.
And this is not to blame Kraft, because I think he's done what he thinks is the straightforward, honorable, thing to do at every turn. But he has miscalculated and failed to act strategically going back years. He presumes that the other owners are rational actors, and they aren't. They are petty scoundrels, and more interested in achieving status in their stupid little boys club than making sound business decisions.