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The Green Bay Packers have announced that they’ve parted ways with punter Jon Ryan.
Ryan joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He went to college in Canada.
He generated an average of 44.5 yards per punt in two NFL seasons. His net average is 37.0.
Replacing Ryan is Derrick Frost, who spent the last three seasons with the Redskins. Before that, he punted for the Browns.
His career average is 41.1 yards, and his net is 36.4.
But Frost has done a better job of pinning opponents’ inside the 20 than Ryan. Over the last two years, Frost has done it 50 times in 156 punts. Ryan did it only 35 times in 135 punts.
September 1st, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Where is the obligatory Frost on the Frozen Tundra joke?
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
September 1st, 2008 at 4:27 pm
An inside the 20 guy is better than a big leg distance guy.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
September 1st, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Florio, I’m highly disappointed that you didn’t come up with a weak pun about a guy named Frost going to play on the Frozen Tundra.
By the way, Ryan must have been reeeealy bad, because Frost sucks.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
September 1st, 2008 at 4:34 pm
WTF? Something has to be up.
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September 1st, 2008 at 4:40 pm
He also played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL before he was signed by the Packers and averaged I think over 50 yards per punt.
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September 1st, 2008 at 4:45 pm
I hope there were other reasons — that’s that difference isn’t statistically significant by any conventional standards…
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September 1st, 2008 at 4:48 pm
I’ll drink to that! He was good for a shank every other game, and who can forget that game at Chicago last year when he had two punts blocked and a third went for 13 yards.
On the other hand, he had a pretty sick 15-yard run vs Minny on a punt play where he thought it was a fake but the other guys were blocking for a real punt.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
September 1st, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Ryan’s got a great leg, but his problem is that he’s inconsistent. Especially in weather, of which Green Bay has plenty. He’ll hit three 60 yarders then shank one for 20. Struggles with hangtime as well.
He’s a big weight room guy, and he really showed he can run with the ball this past week. So he’s good from that regard.
But he also can’t hit the coffin corner to save his life. Doesn’t even seem like he tries.
The big thing here is that he’s also the holder for FGs. So right as the season starts, the Pack has a new longsnapper AND a new holder…
Hopefully Rodgers will put us in the endzone consistently.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
September 1st, 2008 at 5:15 pm
In a way, I welcome this news.
While Ryan did have a huge leg, he just couldn’t figure out that you needed to get the ball inside the 20 — NOT just outside the goal line.
It’s not rocket science, IMO — you just need to understand that the 16, 14, or 12 yd line is better than a touchback, AKA the 20 yd line.
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Also, I got nervous on every snap to him. I don’t know whether he had small hands or if it was my imagination. But every time he caught the ball, it had the appearance of being about 3 feet long in his hands — a chance for a fumble on most any snap.
Thanks for listening.
That is all…
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Rating: 4.5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
September 1st, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Bob, PkrNboro, I hate to break the news to you, but Frost sucks. I’ve watched him for three years and he’s a shank waiting to happen. He’d roll a few inside the 20 every once in a while, but his specialty was booming kicks through the end zone from midfield.
His net average last year was 25th in the NFL.
Did I mention that he sucks?
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
September 1st, 2008 at 6:07 pm
I already knew that
Brett posted it on his website last week
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September 1st, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Punter change, big whoop. More surprised they released Hodge.
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September 1st, 2008 at 6:37 pm
He’ll give you a game or two where he kicks well, or the ball bounces and turns a 45 yd. punt to about 60yds. But then when you really need a great punt, he’ll shank it for 26 yds. Anybody who saw the Redskins vs. the Seahawks in the playoffs knows what I’m talking about.
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September 1st, 2008 at 7:37 pm
I can see how you could justify most of TT’s moves, even if you don’t agree with them, but these two have me scratching my head- there has to be some information he has that I don’t have.
I would have cut Bush and placed Harrell on IR, for example- I know Ryan shanked some punts in pre-season and in critical late season games, but the timing is terrible.
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September 1st, 2008 at 11:13 pm
I’m baffled that they released Abdul Hodge. That guy was a freak. The Pack still has an insane LB core, but Hodge will get picked up and play huge for someone for sure. I would have gotten rid of Bush or Peprah.??
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September 2nd, 2008 at 1:59 am
I don’t know what the situation is with Frost, but I know that Ryan was at the point where his pay was about to jump up substantially in his contract. The cut may have saved GB some money on a player whose stats don’t vary too much. To give up 2 yards avg. per punt and save a few hundred thousand dollars? Makes sense if that’s the case.
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September 2nd, 2008 at 6:54 am
Author: mrosseker
I don’t know what the situation is with Frost, but I know that Ryan was at the point where his pay was about to jump up substantially in his contract. The cut may have saved GB some money
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Exactly why they got rid of Favre!
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September 2nd, 2008 at 11:27 am
Not only does he suck, but Frost was a complete dickhead in Cleveland.
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September 2nd, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Hodge and Ryan? I’m not a happy camper. I just don’t get it. For Hodge, he had a good preseason and was the primary backup to Barnett. Bishop to me is a downgrade. For Ryan, it’s not like he lost the job to someone who was in camp, and he was the holder.
Ryan’s personal story also made him some fans, even if his inconsistency made us wish for Lechler.
As for money, the Pack are well under the cap. Cutting Ryan for cap reasons makes no sense, especially since there isn’t a Mike Brown type owner who’d be pocketing the difference.
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September 4th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
This is stupid. Ryan was a good punter, albeit a somewhat inconsistent one, and was the holder for Crosby… Then a week before the new season we just replace him? Makes very little sense.
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September 6th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Thompson hates Canadians….
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September 6th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
40yards says:
September 6th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Thompson hates Canadians….
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yes obviously, longtime backup untalented nfl player turned gm thompson thought favre had an acadian name too so he chased him away.
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