The Browns on Saturday acquired veteran Pro Bowl punter Andy Lee in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers.
In exchange for Lee, the Browns will send an undisclosed draft pick to the 49ers. Punter Spencer Lanning was waived to make room for Lee on the 90-man roster.
"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, 32, has been one of the NFL's most consistent punters over the past decade. This past season, he ranked sixth in the league in average yards per punt (46.8), 15th in net (39.6) and ninth in punts landed inside the 20-yard line (28).
"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."
Since 2007, Lee (6-2, 180) has logged an average of no fewer than 46 yards per punt over the course of a season. He made the NFC Pro Bowl roster in 2007, 2009 and 2011, the last of which being the year he notched a career-high 50.9 yards per punt.
Dating back to his rookie season with the 49ers, Lee has punted in 176 consecutive games and had been the longest-tenured player on San Francisco's roster. Lee, a Westminster, S.C., native, was a sixth-round pick in the 2004 draft after a successful career at the University of Pittsburgh.
