In light of his apparent participation in a drug sting, what does the future hold for Patriots OL **Nick Kaczur**?
That's the subject of one Boston Globe article today, following the revelation that Kaczur was recently arrested for illegal possession of prescription painkillers (OxyContin).
"Misusing prescription drugs is considered a violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy and could lead to a league-issued suspension," the story reads in part. "The punishment for offenders is based on past transgressions.
"First-time offenders enter stage one of a rehabilitation program, where the focus is on evaluation over a period that could be as short as 90 days or as long as six months. There are no suspensions for entering stage one of the program, only the possibility of fines."
Meanwhile, the lawyer for the alleged dealer in this case is questioning why Kaczur would agree to help authorities to the extent that he did. Kaczur reportedly wore a recording device when meeting with Daniel Ekasala on recent occasions, leading police to target Ekasala.
"I'd be very interested to see what kind of deal Kaczur has gotten in the course of cooperating," said Boston lawyer Bernard M. Grossberg, who represents Ekasala.
The Boston Herald, meantime, is focusing on Kaczur's personal safety, given his high profile and apparent involvement in such a potentially dangerous case.
"Let's just say if I was a life insurance salesman, I wouldn’t find him to be an incredibly good risk," BC Law professor Robert Bloom said. "Personal safety depends on how big of an operation it was."
It's been an offseason unlike any other in recent Patriots history, with the drug arrests of three players (Kaczur, RB Kevin Faulk, and DB Willie Andrews).
The team's turbulence of late is the subject of a USA TODAY feature.
