As Patriots coach Mike Vrabel misses a fairly important work day due to the controversy that has consumed the NFL for 18 days, there's a fairly important question to ask about Vrabel's relationship with owner Robert Kraft.

Either Vrabel didn't tell Kraft the truth about what happened, or Vrabel did and the strong public statement regarding the initial photos of Vrabel and reporter Dianna Russini (he called the situation "laughable") were a calculated (and misguided) P.R. effort from the Patriots organization.

Regardless, it's clear that Kraft is a strong proponent of telling the truth when it comes to landing in a troubling spot.

Rodney Harrison, a member of the Patriots Hall of Fame, admitted to using a performance-enhancing substance in 2007. He later explained the message he received from Kraft.

“When I was going through the situation and Mr. Kraft pulled me to the side, he said, 'Look buddy, I love you. All I want you to do is be completely honest with everything. Don’t lie. Be honest,'" Harrison said at the time. "And that was the thing I really tried to do. [Kraft] says, 'Hey, deal with the consequences, but you always come out better when you tell the truth.' And that’s what I did. That’s the only advice I give to any of these athletes. We see when you lie what happens."

We've seen what happened since Vrabel first provided this quote to the New York Post: “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response."

When asked by reporters on Thursday to explain the shift from calling the situation "laughable" to missing the third day of the draft to attend counseling, Vrabel said, "That's a private and personal matter. I don't think that those comments — I think that that was an attempt to protect your family. And I would never be dismissive."

But he was dismissive. The plan to "protect your family" (or perhaps to protect yourself from your family) was to insist it was nothing, and that anyone who believes otherwise is misguided.

In hindsight, everyone would have been better off if the truth had been told from the get-go. The denials from Vrabel and Russini operated as a Gary Hart-style dare to prove them wrong.

So, again, what did Vrabel say to Kraft when the photos first emerged? And how does Kraft feel about that?

Don't expect any late-night statements to be issued on that point, even if it's the most important long-term ramification flowing from the entire situation.