When the Ravens drafted Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds this past weekend, they knew they were taking a gamble on a developmental prospect who is likely to change positions at the next level. They also knew that Reynold's future in the NFL could be impacted by his requirement to serve in the Navy for five years.
The Ravens just needed to look at the Patriots to see how that five-year requirement can impact a player. A year ago, the Patriots drafted Navy long snapper Joe Cardona, who was able to play last season while simultaneously satisfying his Naval requirement. Unfortunately for the Patriots, that might change this year and beyond.
While appearing on the Dan Patrick Show, Ray Mabus, the U.S. Secretary of the Navy, revealed that Cardona might be forced to leave the team for a "year or so."
"He played last year while he was on active duty because he was able to work them both out," Mabus said. "He's [now] been assigned to a ship, and he's going to report to that ship. So, he may have to leave the Patriots for a year or so to go fulfill that role."
Per Pro Football Reference, Cardona appeared in all 16 games last season. So, the Patriots -- apparently aware of the recent development -- signed free-agent long snapper Christian Yount this offseason as his potential replacement.
And that brings us to the Ravens' situation with Reynolds. According to Mabus, they should be able to work out something that allows Reynolds to play next season.
"Right now, we do have a process. And it hasn't got up to me yet to do it. But there are a lot of paths to both play and to serve," Mabus said, later adding, "I'm confident that we can work something out for Keenan to do both -- to serve his country and to play professional football."
But, as the case with Cardona indicates, the Ravens could lose Reynolds at some point, assuming he even makes the team in the first place.
