Falcons forfeit 2016 5th-round draft pick, fined $350K for use of artificial crowd noise
The NFL's investigation into the Atlanta Falcons' use of artificial crowd noise has concluded and the club has been handed a fairly substantial punishment.
As a result of their infractions, the NFL docked the Falcons a 2016 fifth-round draft selection and handed the team a fine of $350,000.
The draft was always the most likely way in which the league would choose to hand out its most significant discipline, but the Falcons not losing the mid-round selection until next year's draft can certainly be taken as a positive for the organization as it emerges from this process.
Falcons president Rich McKay was found to be unaware of the artificial crowd noise, but given that he oversees the team's game-day operations, he has been suspended from his post as the chairman of the league's competition committee, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
McKay's suspension from the committee takes effect April 1 and he will be permitted to reapply June 30.
As Albert Breer of NFL Network adds, a former team marketing official that shares the same name as one of the Falcons' star wide receivers was found to be directly responsible for the artificial noise violations.
NFL found that "Roddy White (not that one), the (Falcons') former director of event marketing, was directly responsible for the violation."
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 30, 2015
The NFL also announced discipline for the Cleveland Browns' game-day violations of the electronic device policy Monday, suspending general manager Ray Farmer for four games and fining the organization a total of $250,000.