The NFL Draft can be a sign of things to come with regard to possible veteran replacements. One member of the New England Patriots just found himself on the wrong end of one of those business decisions and it is a name that fans will be very familiar with.
Tuesday afternoon, the Patriots announced that veteran long snapper Joe Cardona has been released after spending all 10 of his seasons in the NFL in New England.
Cardona was selected by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft with the No. 166 overall pick after he completed his collegiate career as a cadet at the Naval Academy. At the time of his release, Cardona was the longest-tenured member of the team's active roster.
Cardona leaves New England as a two-time Super Bowl champion, a member of the Patriots' All-Dynasty Team, and an NFL Salute to Service award winner. The former Naval Academy standout also served as a team captain for the 2024 campaign, the first and only time he had that honor as a member of the Patriots.
With Cardona on his way out of New England, the door is open for who the Patriots hope can be their next long snapper for years to come. The organization has all but handed the starting job to 2025 seventh-round draft pick Julian Ashby out of Vanderbilt University.
While Patriots fans will obviously be rooting for Ashby to have the same sort of sustained success that Cardona did during his tenure in New England, they will also undoubtedly be wishing Cardona the very best as he navigates what will come next for him in his professional career.
Should coaching be something that piques Cardona's interest in the future, it seems safe to say that there would be a place for him with the Patriots given all the expertise he can pass along to the next generation.