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Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Ryan, Hodge out; Frost, Goode in

By Jason Wilde | Lee Newspapers

GREEN BAY — For a team that puts a premium on special teams, the Green Bay Packers are taking a risk by entering Monday night’s regular-season opener against the Minnesota Vikings with an overhauled kicking operation.

But it’s a risk worth taking in the opinion of general manager Ted Thompson, who cut punter Jon Ryan in favor of Washington Redskins castoff Derrick Frost Monday and chose Brett Goode to be the team’s long-snapper after a three-man snap-off Sunday.

Only second-year kicker Mason Crosby remains in the kicking game from the group that went through training camp. A new long-snapper was unavoidable after rookie J.J. Jansen was placed on season-ending injured reserve Saturday with a knee injury.

“It’s a good question, but we’re trying to get better,” Thompson replied when asked if there was some concern over facing the Vikings with a new punter, a new holder and a new snapper. “We’ve got a long week. There is change, but there is always a little change this time of year, whether it be at running back like in past years or at punter and snapper here. It’s just part of it.”

Crosby, who led the NFL in scoring as a rookie last year and made 33 of 41 field-goal attempts (including playoffs) with Ryan as his holder and now-retired Rob Davis as his snapper, tried to take the change in stride.

“I didn’t see it coming,” said Crosby, who considered Ryan his best friend on the team and had him as a groomsman in his June wedding. “It’s the most important thing for my job. It’s what I depend on the most — making sure that snap and that hold is good. It’s obviously a trust you’ve got to build. It’s just part of this business, and we have to make sure we build this trust with this unit.”

Ryan averaged 48.0 gross yards and 37.7 net yards on 23 preseason punts, with five touchbacks, seven punts inside the 20-yard line and a long of 72. He had two poor punts in the opener (14- and 15-yarders).

In two years as the Packers’ punter, the strong-legged CFL import averaged 44.5 gross and 37.0 net yards on 144 punts. Last season, his averages were 44.4 gross and 37.6 net.

“I felt like I was hitting the ball better than I ever have before, and I felt like I did everything that was asked of me in training camp,” Ryan said. “I don’t know what happened. It kind of came out of nowhere. But it is what it is.”

Asked Monday why he prefers Frost to Ryan, Thompson replied, “I think Jon has really improved. He’s obviously a very talented, very strong athlete. He can hit punts like nobody I have ever seen. ... This is not a kill Jon Ryan thing. He is a good punter and (has) very impressive strength, like I said. I think we were just looking for a little bit more consistency.”

Frost, a fifth-year pro from Northern Iowa, averaged 41.0 gross and 36.4 net for the Redskins last year. He lost out to rookie draft pick Durant Brooks in camp this year, and said Monday he’d set up tryouts with the Pittsburgh Steelers for Monday and the Seattle Seahawks for today. The New England Patriots also were interested, but the Packers signed him without a tryout.

Frost broke through in 2004 with Cleveland (40.0 gross, 35.4 net) before spending the past three seasons with the Redskins. His best season statistically was 2006, when he averaged 42.9 gross and 36.7 net yards while putting 27 punts inside the 20-yard line. For his career, Frost has averaged 41.1 gross and 36.4 net yards, with 97 punts inside the 20. Of his 317 career punts, 159 have been returned, none for touchdowns.

“That’s what they want out of me — more direction and more hang time,” Frost said. “That really is my strong suit, and I really need to get back to it. This is a chance to do that.”

Asked about his relationship with Packers special teams coach Mike Stock, who was in Washington in 2003 and tried to sign him coming out of Northern Iowa, Frost replied, “I probably know him better than any special teams coach I haven’t played for yet, if that makes any sense.”

Goode was thrilled to have a job after beating out Tim Bugg and Ryan Senser during a three-way tryout Sunday. Linebacker Abdul Hodge was released to make room for him on the roster.

Goode was working construction for his father’s company when the Packers called, and there’s an unfinished driveway in Fort Smith, Ark., as a result.

“I was framing up a driveway to get poured concrete in,” said Goode, who played collegiately at Arkansas and was on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offseason roster the past two seasons. “We had just taken a break, it was about 93 degrees, and I got the call.”

Crosby said he didn’t kick any field goals with Frost and Goode Monday but expects to do so today.

“I just have to get that trust with these guys really quick. We’re just going to have to get that operation down,” Crosby said. “We’ve got five practices to work on it and make sure we’re solid coming into the first game.”