GREEN BAY -- Not that Charlie Peprah needed the lesson after spending cutdown day uncertain of his own future, but the Packers third-year safety got a reminder in the fleeting nature of NFL employment during Monday's team meeting when he found out punter Jon Ryan had been unceremoniously cut by the team.

"I didn't even know Jon Ryan had been let go until they told the (new) punter to stand up. I was like, 'Wait, where he'd come from?'," Peprah said. "I don't know why they did that, but that's the business. You can never get complacent, never get comfortable."

Because of Ryan's surprising release, the Packers enter their regular-season opener against the Minnesota Vikings next Monday night with a new punter, a new holder and a new long-snapper after general manager Ted Thompson brought in ex-Washington Redskins punter Derrick Frost and chose Brett Goode to be the team's new long-snapper.

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 the makeover. "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, admitted he was surprised by the release of Ryan, his closest friend on the team and who stood up in his wedding in June.

"I didn't see it coming," Crosby said. "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 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 in preseason. He had two poor punts in the opener (14- and 15-yarders) but appeared to have recovered in the final three games.

In two years as the Packers' punter, the strong-legged CFL import averaged 44.5 gross and 37 net yards on 144 punts. Last season, his averages were 44.4 gross and 37.6 net.

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 were also interested, but the Packers signed him without a tryout.

Frost's 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.

"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."

Goode, meanwhile, 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, who played in college at Arkansas and was on the Jacksonville Jaguars' off-season roster the past two seasons, was working construction for his father's company when the Packers called.

"I was framing up a driveway to get poured concrete in," Goode said. "We had just taken a break, it was about 93 degrees, and I got the call."

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Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by mr.woody on Sept. 5, 2008 at 10:25 a.m. (report)

let's wait n c what happens against the vics b 4 second guessing the line up. hell i've backed since 66. hurt 'bout brett, but i want 'em n the super bowl no matter who gets us there. not only n the bowl a ring. thanks greenbay u've given me over 40 yr.s of hope n happiness.

Posted by kman8900 on Sept. 2, 2008 at 3:48 p.m. (report)

TT got rid of Favre, why would this move surprise anybody???

Posted by Captool73 on Sept. 2, 2008 at 7:18 a.m. (report)

Does anyone remember Joe Prokop? In 1985, Forrest Gregg cut long-time punter Bucky Scribner a weel before the season began because he didn't have sufficient "hang-time." Prokop (formerly of the NY Jets) was signed because of his potential as a punter. The results? Prokop was rated last in the NFC in puntng (as I recall) and the Packers struggled all year on special teams. Now we have a new punter AND a new holder. Hold on folks, we might be in for a bumpy ride!