motife
06-03-2006, 05:23 PM
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/index.php?ntid=86245&ntpid=1
Packers: Newcomer Ryan gets a leg up
JASON WILDE 608-252-6176
jwilde@madison.com
GREEN BAY - Mike McCarthy spent the special-teams period of Friday's organized team activity practice working with the quarterbacks, so he wasn't paying attention during the punting session.
Did he miss out on a show by Canadian import Jon Ryan.
"Did not watch at all," the Green Bay Packers' first-year coach said. "I'll watch that on tape."
When he does, he'll see Ryan, whom the Packers signed as a free agent out of the CFL Feb. 7, average 63.1 yards on eight punts, thoroughly outperforming incumbent B.J. Sander, the team's oft-criticized 2004 third-round draft pick.
"One of my better days, yeah," a slightly shell-shocked Ryan said as a throng of reporters surrounded the locker he shares with quarterback Brian Wrobel in the back of the Packers' locker room. "It's all started to come together a little bit better and I was hitting the ball fairly well."
Fairly well? Try remarkably well.
While McCarthy made it clear the competition will extend into training camp, Ryan's monstrous effort Friday created quite the buzz.
"But it's a long haul from here until the season starts," said Ryan, 24. "You're not going to win the job in one day, that's for sure."
Still, the 6-foot, 202-pound Ryan has strung together three consecutive days of outpunting Sander in plausibly live situations. On Wednesday, kicking into a stiff breeze, Ryan averaged 43.9 yards on nine punts. Sander, meanwhile, averaged 31.3 yards on eight punts.
On Thursday, punting from the opponent's 45-yard line and trying to pin the ball close to the goal line, Ryan averaged 34.6 yards on 10 punts, while Sander averaged 32.3 yards on eight punts.
Then came Friday, when Ryan showed off his superior leg strength, booming six punts of 60 yards or longer, including a 69-yarder. Ryan's shortest punt of the day was his first, which traveled 57 yards. Sander averaged 47.9 yards on seven punts, with a long of 61.
Both punters had a slight wind at their backs, but Ryan's punts not only traveled farther, he also had better hang time, averaging 4.56 seconds of hang time compared to Sander's 4.06.
"It's not a matter of the strength of the leg as it is the speed of acceleration through the ball," special teams coordinator Mike Stock said when asked how strong Ryan's leg is. "But he's got great power."
Last year, Sander ranked 30th in the NFL in gross average (39.2 yards) and 31st in net average (33.9 yards), as his numbers worsened late in the year as the weather became a factor. He then missed the final two games after he suffered an impact fracture at the top of the tibia in his left (kicking) leg when he was hit in the Dec. 19 game at Baltimore.
Now, with coach Mike Sherman, who made the controversial decision to draft him out of Ohio State, gone, Sander's days in Green Bay could be numbered.
Ryan, who led the CFL last season in gross punting average (50.6) and net average (42.3) while playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, didn't garner any NFL interest coming out of the University of Regina. But after working out in Phoenix this offseason, he was brought in for tryouts by the Packers, Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants, with "four or five other teams" interested in him as well, he said.
"I think B.J.'s a great punter. I'm not going to slight him whatsoever. But (the Packers) expressed to me that they were going to give me a fair shot and a fair look, and that's all you can ask for," said Ryan, who accepted a miniscule $35,000 signing bonus from the Packers - less than the Giants' $40,000 offer - because of the opportunity he saw in Green Bay.•
Extra points Cornerback Ahmad Carroll, who participated in practice Thursday after missing Wednesday's workout, was gone Friday. McCarthy said Carroll had a "personal matter" to attend to and he'll be back Sunday. ... McCarthy said quarterback Brett Favre will be back when OTAs resume next week with four practices next week - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday - but wouldn't comment on Favre's schedule after those four days. ... Safety Nick Collins arrived after missing the first two practices. ... Cornerback Charles Woodson, wide receiver Rod Gardner, defensive tackle Ryan Pickett and safety Mark Roman remained absent, and McCarthy said he planned to talk to each of them this weekend to see when they will begin practicing. ... Defensive tackle Tim McGill was released.
Packers: Newcomer Ryan gets a leg up
JASON WILDE 608-252-6176
jwilde@madison.com
GREEN BAY - Mike McCarthy spent the special-teams period of Friday's organized team activity practice working with the quarterbacks, so he wasn't paying attention during the punting session.
Did he miss out on a show by Canadian import Jon Ryan.
"Did not watch at all," the Green Bay Packers' first-year coach said. "I'll watch that on tape."
When he does, he'll see Ryan, whom the Packers signed as a free agent out of the CFL Feb. 7, average 63.1 yards on eight punts, thoroughly outperforming incumbent B.J. Sander, the team's oft-criticized 2004 third-round draft pick.
"One of my better days, yeah," a slightly shell-shocked Ryan said as a throng of reporters surrounded the locker he shares with quarterback Brian Wrobel in the back of the Packers' locker room. "It's all started to come together a little bit better and I was hitting the ball fairly well."
Fairly well? Try remarkably well.
While McCarthy made it clear the competition will extend into training camp, Ryan's monstrous effort Friday created quite the buzz.
"But it's a long haul from here until the season starts," said Ryan, 24. "You're not going to win the job in one day, that's for sure."
Still, the 6-foot, 202-pound Ryan has strung together three consecutive days of outpunting Sander in plausibly live situations. On Wednesday, kicking into a stiff breeze, Ryan averaged 43.9 yards on nine punts. Sander, meanwhile, averaged 31.3 yards on eight punts.
On Thursday, punting from the opponent's 45-yard line and trying to pin the ball close to the goal line, Ryan averaged 34.6 yards on 10 punts, while Sander averaged 32.3 yards on eight punts.
Then came Friday, when Ryan showed off his superior leg strength, booming six punts of 60 yards or longer, including a 69-yarder. Ryan's shortest punt of the day was his first, which traveled 57 yards. Sander averaged 47.9 yards on seven punts, with a long of 61.
Both punters had a slight wind at their backs, but Ryan's punts not only traveled farther, he also had better hang time, averaging 4.56 seconds of hang time compared to Sander's 4.06.
"It's not a matter of the strength of the leg as it is the speed of acceleration through the ball," special teams coordinator Mike Stock said when asked how strong Ryan's leg is. "But he's got great power."
Last year, Sander ranked 30th in the NFL in gross average (39.2 yards) and 31st in net average (33.9 yards), as his numbers worsened late in the year as the weather became a factor. He then missed the final two games after he suffered an impact fracture at the top of the tibia in his left (kicking) leg when he was hit in the Dec. 19 game at Baltimore.
Now, with coach Mike Sherman, who made the controversial decision to draft him out of Ohio State, gone, Sander's days in Green Bay could be numbered.
Ryan, who led the CFL last season in gross punting average (50.6) and net average (42.3) while playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, didn't garner any NFL interest coming out of the University of Regina. But after working out in Phoenix this offseason, he was brought in for tryouts by the Packers, Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants, with "four or five other teams" interested in him as well, he said.
"I think B.J.'s a great punter. I'm not going to slight him whatsoever. But (the Packers) expressed to me that they were going to give me a fair shot and a fair look, and that's all you can ask for," said Ryan, who accepted a miniscule $35,000 signing bonus from the Packers - less than the Giants' $40,000 offer - because of the opportunity he saw in Green Bay.•
Extra points Cornerback Ahmad Carroll, who participated in practice Thursday after missing Wednesday's workout, was gone Friday. McCarthy said Carroll had a "personal matter" to attend to and he'll be back Sunday. ... McCarthy said quarterback Brett Favre will be back when OTAs resume next week with four practices next week - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday - but wouldn't comment on Favre's schedule after those four days. ... Safety Nick Collins arrived after missing the first two practices. ... Cornerback Charles Woodson, wide receiver Rod Gardner, defensive tackle Ryan Pickett and safety Mark Roman remained absent, and McCarthy said he planned to talk to each of them this weekend to see when they will begin practicing. ... Defensive tackle Tim McGill was released.