Patriots fans suing NFL over lost 1st-round pick from 'Deflategate'

A group of New England Patriots fans are fighting in court to recoup the team's 2016 first-round pick stripped as part of the ongoing "Deflategate" scandal.

The seven fans have filed a federal lawsuit accusing NFL commissioner Roger Goodell of committing fraud, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and racketeering, Bob McGovern of the Boston Herald reports.

"This case is brought by New England Patriots fans on behalf of all Patriots fans who believe the New England Patriots professional football team were harmed by the Defendants' arbitrary and capricious decision to revoke the Patriots first-round draft choice in the April 28, 2016 NFL Draft," the lawsuit, signed by Maine attorney Seth Carey, states.

The fans contend that the investigation, led by Ted Wells, failed to implicate the Patriots or quarterback Tom Brady.

"In short, after a three-month, multi-million dollar investigation, actual proof of a plot to deflate footballs was never found," Carey wrote. "In the absence of such evidence, it is difficult to understand why Wells found such a plot 'more probable than not.'"

Patriots owner Robert Kraft reluctantly accepted the punishment, which also included a $1-million fine, but recently wrote a letter to Goodell asking for the return of the 2016 first-round pick. Goodell said there was no "new information" presented in Kraft's letter that would lead him to do so.