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The Browns have traded their seventh-round pick in 2017 to the 49ers for three-time Pro Bowl punter Andy Lee, the team announced on Saturday.
The team sent their seventh-round pick to the 49ers in order to secure Lee. In a corresponding move, the Browns released punter Spencer Lanning to make room on the roster for Lee.
“We’ve said all along that we are going to be deliberate in our pursuit to acquire talent that we feel can improve our roster,” Browns general manager Ray Farmer said. “Andy Lee has consistently been a top punter in this league. We are excited to be able to add a punter of his caliber to our team.
“We wish Spencer the best. He has done a solid job for our team and has also been an outstanding representative for our organization off the field.”
Lee has averaged at least 46.2 yards per punt in every season since 2007, peaking at 50.9 in 2011. He had served in that capacity with San Francisco for the last 11 years, but the team used a fifth-round selection in the 2015 draft to take Clemson punter Bradley Pinion, signaling the end of Lee's tenure with the 49ers.
“I'm excited about my new start and becoming a member of the Cleveland Browns,” Lee said. “I've heard so many good things about the city of Cleveland and the loyalty and passion of the fans from my former teammate Phil Dawson. I've also heard some very positive things about the type of organization and team the Browns are building so my family and I are very much looking forward to becoming a part of it.”
