Ravens tight end Quinn Sypniewski hurt his knee during the team’s minicamp Friday and was carted off the field with an injury that the team fears will cause him to miss the entire 2008 season.

Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times reports that Sypniewski’s left knee buckled after hauling in a pass and awkwardly bumping into linebacker Antwan Barnes.  Don Markus of the Baltimore Sun reports that Sypniewski had caught a pass and was trying to avoid contact with Barnes.

Whether Sypniewski actually made contact with Barnes or was hurt trying to avoid contact with Barnes, the fact is that activities in April are supposed to be non-contact.  Common sense tells us that in a non-contact activity, not only should a player not awkwardly bump another player, he also shouldn’t have to make sudden movements that will cause his knee to buckle because he’s attempting to avoid contact.

If the players’ union is doing its job, it will demand to know how a player suffered a potentially season-ending injury in a non-contact activity, although players like Sypniewski often decide that it’s better for their careers to suffer silently.