Packers Boot Ryan!?

[cpk1994]

Big surprise, but I have to give TT some benefit of the doubt. I thought he was f'ed up to let a proven commodity like Longwell go, but time proved him right.

Maybe TT's an idiot savant with kickers and RBs, though not so much with OL.

But still, damn!

But he didn't let Longwell go 6 days before the season opener. Thats what makes this decision so dumb. If he was not happy with Ryan he shouldn't have released Debauche so fast or at least brought someone into camp. This is just boneheaded all around.

[MJZiggy]

I think he was waiting to see who got cut. Maybe he's been following this guy hoping he'd come available. (like he did with Grant)

[MadtownPacker]

The gets the ball and boots the shit out of it. How much preparation is needed? The new guy can either punt of he cant.Ryan shanks too damn many and the ones he doesnt shank always end up touchbacks. I agree with TT on this move.

[boiga]

Stock speaks

Three days after the Packers swapped punters, cutting Jon Ryan and signing fifth-year pro Derrick Frost, special teams coordinator Mike Stock said Ryan’s failure to improve his get-away time played a major role in the team’s decision.

“That’s been slow for two years,” Stock said. “I’m not throwing Ryan under the bus — I’m just saying (get-away time is) one of those things we’ve been working on the whole entire time. This guy (Frost)’s a true two-step kicker and gets the ball away in a very early time, and that’s very important for the protection element.”

Ryan converted to a two-step punting technique during the 2007 offseason, but at times reverted to his old technique. Though Ryan’s net average improved significantly last season — from 35.7 yards as a rookie in 2006 to 37.6, moving him from 26th in the NFL to 14th — he had one notably poor performance on Dec. 23 at Chicago and had two punts blocked. This preseason, he had one punt partially blocked and another returned for a touchdown.

“Coach McCarthy and Ted (Thompson, the general manager) and I were not happy with (Ryan’s) progress, that’s the big point,” Stock said. “You come in on Mondays and talk about the same problems, the same things we needed to improve upon, particularly one element and you want to get better, and you keep working to get better and you spend the offseason physically, to diligently get better, and those things keep occurring week after week.

“You have to change. Eventually, you have to change. In order to help yourself, you need to change. Evidently — don’t get me wrong, it is not easy, but that’s part of the deal.”

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080904/PKR01/80904142/1954/PKR03

Sigh... I suppose that makes sense. I'll still miss the guy though.

[Scott Campbell]

I appreciate the frank explanation.

[Partial]

Why I appreciate the explanation, I don't really trust Mike Stock's opinion. His career has been horrendous and I've always felt he's been a very weak link. He came in here as what, the coach of the worst unit in the league?

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Why I appreciate the explanation, I don't really trust Mike Stock's opinion. His career has been horrendous and I've always felt he's been a very weak link. He came in here as what, the coach of the worst unit in the league?

So, you discount him taking one of the youngest teams and making them 7th overall..according to the Dallas Morning News?

Hmm..4th in punt return average, 2nd in punt coverage, and 4th in kickoff coverage in the NFC.

And, was the coach of Crosby.

And, was the coach of Ryan who improved?

[Carolina_Packer]

Why I appreciate the explanation, I don't really trust Mike Stock's opinion. His career has been horrendous and I've always felt he's been a very weak link. He came in here as what, the coach of the worst unit in the league?

So, you discount him taking one of the youngest teams and making them 7th overall..according to the Dallas Morning News?

Hmm..4th in punt return average, 2nd in punt coverage, and 4th in kickoff coverage in the NFC.

And, was the coach of Crosby.

And, was the coach of Ryan who improved?

Stop using facts to make your points, Ty.

[pbmax]

Did anyone notice the new Redskin punter Durant shank one last night in the second half? Nothing is more consistently entertaining than out smarting Daniel Snyder. I would be rooting for Frost for that reason alone.

John Bonamego had a stellar reputation as a ST coach of the Jaguars when Sherman hired him. He then proceeded to stink out loud for the rest of his stay. He didn't somehow get dumber here. His players stunk and he had two punters, neither of whom could man the gunner position.

The players are better now, ergo, the ST are better now. Stock doesn't need to be a genius ST coach, as long as he can identify what makes a punter and the punt unit successful. If the GM and Stock found Ryan, why do you think they could not find a better replacement?

[cpk1994]

Did anyone notice the new Redskin punter Durant shank one last night in the second half? Nothing is more consistently entertaining than out smarting Daniel Snyder. I would be rooting for Frost for that reason alone.

John Bonamego had a stellar reputation as a ST coach of the Jaguars when Sherman hired him. He then proceeded to stink out loud for the rest of his stay. He didn't somehow get dumber here. His players stunk and he had two punters, neither of whom could man the gunner position.

The players are better now, ergo, the ST are better now. Stock doesn't need to be a genius ST coach, as long as he can identify what makes a punter and the punt unit successful. If the GM and Stock found Ryan, why do you think they could not find a better replacement?

The point that some are making is that its not that Ryan was released but that WHEN he was released. It is a highly(and moronic IMHO) decision to release him 6 days before the opener. If Frost fails week one TT is going to look real foolish.

[Lurker64]

The point that some are making is that its not that Ryan was released but that WHEN he was released. It is a highly(and moronic IMHO) decision to release him 6 days before the opener. If Frost fails week one TT is going to look real foolish.

This isn't really unusual. Teams scout not only the punting battles in their camps but the punting battles in other camps as well. It's common for a team to keep just one punter in camp, knowing that some people will end up cutting a punter and if that guy cut is better than the guy you have, you can pick him up at the waiver wire. We picked up Frost right after he cleared Waivers and we were eligible to sign him. Getting him earlier wasn't really possible. We released Ryan when we got Frost, and we got Frost as soon as we could. There's nothing questionable about the timing.

After all, punters are pretty much "hot swappable" parts. You put them back there, and they catch the ball when the LS slings it to them, and then they kick the ball. There's not a ton of chemistry needed.

[hoosier]

Stock speaks

Three days after the Packers swapped punters, cutting Jon Ryan and signing fifth-year pro Derrick Frost, special teams coordinator Mike Stock said Ryan’s failure to improve his get-away time played a major role in the team’s decision.

“That’s been slow for two years,” Stock said. “I’m not throwing Ryan under the bus — I’m just saying (get-away time is) one of those things we’ve been working on the whole entire time. This guy (Frost)’s a true two-step kicker and gets the ball away in a very early time, and that’s very important for the protection element.”

Ryan converted to a two-step punting technique during the 2007 offseason, but at times reverted to his old technique. Though Ryan’s net average improved significantly last season — from 35.7 yards as a rookie in 2006 to 37.6, moving him from 26th in the NFL to 14th — he had one notably poor performance on Dec. 23 at Chicago and had two punts blocked. This preseason, he had one punt partially blocked and another returned for a touchdown.

“Coach McCarthy and Ted (Thompson, the general manager) and I were not happy with (Ryan’s) progress, that’s the big point,” Stock said. “You come in on Mondays and talk about the same problems, the same things we needed to improve upon, particularly one element and you want to get better, and you keep working to get better and you spend the offseason physically, to diligently get better, and those things keep occurring week after week.

“You have to change. Eventually, you have to change. In order to help yourself, you need to change. Evidently — don’t get me wrong, it is not easy, but that’s part of the deal.”

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080904/PKR01/80904142/1954/PKR03

Sigh... I suppose that makes sense. I'll still miss the guy though.

Brutally frank. What happened to make the phrase "throwing him under the bus" unavoidable in these situations? Sometimes you can tell you're going to run into it before you even start reading the article.

[MadScientist]

[quote="Lurker64"After all, punters are pretty much "hot swappable" parts. You put them back there, and they catch the ball when the LS slings it to them, and then they kick the ball. There's not a ton of chemistry needed.[/quote]

Except for the holding aspect of it. There is a definite need for chemistry between the holder and the kicker, although how hard it is to get it right depends on how fussy the kicker is.

I wish the Vikings did something like this just to see the reaction from Longwell.

[Lurker64]

Except for the holding aspect of it. There is a definite need for chemistry between the holder and the kicker, although how hard it is to get it right depends on how fussy the kicker is.

From all indications I've seen, Crosby isn't very picky about his holder. As long as the guy catches the ball and gets it down, Crosby has said he's happy. I imagine that made it easier to replace Ryan.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Did anyone notice the new Redskin punter Durant shank one last night in the second half? Nothing is more consistently entertaining than out smarting Daniel Snyder. I would be rooting for Frost for that reason alone.

John Bonamego had a stellar reputation as a ST coach of the Jaguars when Sherman hired him. He then proceeded to stink out loud for the rest of his stay. He didn't somehow get dumber here. His players stunk and he had two punters, neither of whom could man the gunner position.

The players are better now, ergo, the ST are better now. Stock doesn't need to be a genius ST coach, as long as he can identify what makes a punter and the punt unit successful. If the GM and Stock found Ryan, why do you think they could not find a better replacement?

The point that some are making is that its not that Ryan was released but that WHEN he was released. It is a highly(and moronic IMHO) decision to release him 6 days before the opener. If Frost fails week one TT is going to look real foolish.

Right. We should have held on to him and then replaced him in the middle of the season.

Replacing punters and kickers is done all the time in season. Talk about a tempest in a teapot.