Veteran long snapper Joe Cardona's exit from the New England Patriots was just as classy as his entry. The former Navy fifth-round draft pick made the rounds at Gillette Stadium to say his goodbyes after 10 years with the franchise.
It was an emotional moment considering Cardona was the last remnant from the Super Bowl era in New England. He was a two-time Super Bowl champion and All-Dynasty player for the Patriots. The writing was on the wall regarding his status with the team after the Patriots used a seventh-round draft pick on Vanderbilt rookie long snapper Julian Ashby.
ESPN's Mike Reiss touched on Cardona's final goodbye in New England in his weekly notes column. Reiss wrote:
"He made the rounds inside Gillette Stadium to say goodbye to various team employees with whom he'd developed a connection over the past decade. Part of that included Cardona, who was choking up at times, joining a meeting of the Patriots' content team to say thank you."
Cardona wasn't the only longtime Patriots player to make an exit.
Defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr., cornerback Jonathan Jones, linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley and center David Andrews are all gone. It's a jarring end of an era for the greatest dynasty in NFL history.
Now that the slate is wiped clean, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel will attempt to build a new dynasty in New England.
Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: How 10-year vet Joe Cardona said goodbye after release from Patriots
English (US) ·