Andy Lee - Pro Football Rumors

Panthers Cut P Andy Lee

September 2nd, 2017 at 9:32am CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers have cut punter Andy Lee, Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets. That means they’ll be keeping Michael Palardy as their punter for the coming season.

The Panthers tried to orchestrate a trade for Lee this week, but it was to no avail. This time last year, the Panthers gave up a fourth-round choice to acquire him from the Browns. When he was dangled, the Cardinals expressed some level of interest, but it sounds like the Panthers could not extract anything of value from them. The Cardinals seem like a prime candidate to sign the veteran now that he’s a free agent.

The Panthers already paid $1MM to Lee in March and they’re still on the hook for his $1MM fully guaranteed base salary, so the punter will be on the books for $2MM in all, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. It’s not a good look for Carolina, but the “new” regime did not want to saddle themselves with Dave Gettleman‘s mistake.

Lee, 35, had a perfect attendance record in the regular season through ten seasons before a hamstring injury sidelined him in 2016. For his career, he has three Pro Bowl nods and three first-team All-Pro selections.

Cardinals Interested In Panthers’ Andy Lee

August 30th, 2017 at 3:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cardinals have interest in punter Andy Lee, whom the Panthers are shopping, according to Mike Jurecki of Arizona 98.7 FM.

Arizona sifted through multiple punters in 2016, as Ryan Quigley, Drew Butler, and Matt Wile all played in at least three games for the club. Wile is the only one still left on the roster, and he’s competing with Richie Leone — who signed a futures deal with the Cardinals in January — for the starting job. As a team, Arizona was putrid on punts last season, as their 14.7 points of lost field position was second only to the Jets, per Football Outsiders.

Lee, 35, only played in nine games for the Panthers in 2016 before going down with a season-ending hamstring injury. In that time, he punted 36 times with a net average of 40.4 yards, which would have ranked 14th among NFL punters had Lee seen enough action to qualify. After reworking his contract earlier this year, Lee is signed for $1MM in 2017 and $1.1MM in 2018.

Carolina gave up a fourth-round selection for Lee at this time last year, but the club is highly unlikely to reap such compensation now that Lee is coming off injury. As Jurecki notes, the Cardinals are projected to earn four compensatory picks in 2018, meaning they could have extra ammunition with which to play.

Panthers Shopping Punter Andy Lee

August 30th, 2017 at 10:59am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Panthers are gauging trade interest in a pair of specialists, punter Andy Lee and kicker Harrison Butker, sources tell Jourdan Rodrigue and Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.

Carolina acquired Lee and a seventh-round pick from the Browns prior to last season in exchange for a fourth-rounder and fellow punter Kasey Redfern. Lee, 35, appeared in nine games for the Panthers before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury. That health issue allowed Michael Palardy — now Lee’s primary competition — to punt for Carolina over the season’s final seven contests. Prior to going down, Lee averaged 49.1 yards per punt on 39 attempts.

Lee agreed to a pay reduction earlier this year, per the Observer scribes. Originally scheduled to earn $3.43MM and $4.13MM over the next two seasons, Lee will now bring in just $1MM in 2017 and $1.1MM in 2018. That could make Lee relatively attractive on the trade market, especially for clubs in need of specialist but are strapped for cap space.

Butker, meanwhile, is also part of an open competition, as he’s vying to become the Panthers’ placekicker alongside veteran Graham Gano. A seventh-round pick this spring, Butker has only attempted one field goal this preseason, a 51-yarder that he converted successfully. He’s also made both of his extra point tries. For his part, Gano is three-for-four on preseason field goals, and made only 78.9% of his attempts during the 2017 campaign.

Panthers Place Andy Lee On IR, Sign Michael Palardy

November 14th, 2016 at 4:25pm CST by Ben Levine

The Panthers have placed punter Andy Lee on the injured reserve, reports Jourdan Rodrigue of The Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). The team has signed punter Michael Palardy to replace the Pro Bowler.

Lee injured his hamstring during Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs, and the veteran punter was unable to take the field during the second half. The 34-year-old has continued his reign as one of the league’s top punters in 2016. He’s averaged 49.1 yards per punt this season, good for fourth in the NFL. The 13-year veteran has also placed 18 punts inside the 20-yard line.

A sixth-round pick back in 2004, Lee was traded from the Browns to the Panthers this past offseason. Prior to his one season in Cleveland, Lee played 11 seasons with the 49ers, where he was a three-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro. Lee currently ranks ninth all-time in punting yards and 19th in punts. The punter is signed through the 2018 season.

Palardy, a 2014 undrafted free agent out of Tennessee, was in contention for the Panthers’ punting gig before the team traded for Lee. The 24-year-old has also spent time with the Browns and Falcons.

Browns Trade Punter Andy Lee To Panthers

August 29th, 2016 at 3:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers acquired veteran punter Andy Lee and a 2017 seventh-round pick from the Browns in exchange for a fourth-round draft choice in 2018 and punter Kasey Redfern.

Lee, 34, spent the first eleven years of his career with the 49ers before being traded to the Browns in 2015. The veteran has never missed a regular season game and has three First-Team All-Pro nods to his credit (2007, 2011, 2012) with two Pro Bowl selections (’07, ’11). The Pittsburgh product averaged 46.7 yards per punt last season, slightly higher than his career average. He’ll now step into the role that was originally supposed to be filled by Mike Scifres.

The Panthers signed Redfern less than two weeks ago as they waived Swayze Waters.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Browns Rumors: Benjamin, Barnidge, Roper

December 10th, 2015 at 2:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The Browns signed tight end Gary Barnidge to a contract extension today, and while the salary numbers on the deal aren’t yet known, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that he believes Barnidge’s camp was targeting $4MM per year.

That would be a team-friendly price for a player who ranks among the NFL’s best tight ends in terms of catches, yards, and touchdowns this season. As I noted in our story on Barnidge’s extension, Lance Kendricks signed a four-year deal worth $4.625MM annually with the Rams in March, and he has never had a season nearly as productive as Barnidge’s 2015. On the other hand, the Browns tight end is 30 years old, and had only caught 44 balls in 92 career games coming into the season.

As we wait on the figures for Barnidge’s new contract, let’s round up a few more news items and notes from out of Cleveland….

Another Browns pass catcher, wide receiver Travis Benjamin, indicated earlier in the season that he’d like to remain in Cleveland beyond this year, and the team has since engaged him in extension discussions. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com and Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter links), Benjamin said today that he thinks he’s about 75% or 80% of the way to reaching a new deal with the Browns.
Discussing his extension, Barnidge explained today that he decided not to test the open market because he wanted to repay the Browns for giving him a shot (Twitter link via Cabot). “I want to be part of the turnaround,” Barnidge said.
According to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has conducted at least one meeting to discuss “how to pick up the broken shards left from the 2015 season.” Team president Alec Scheiner and general manager Ray Farmer were present at that meeting, says Grossi, within a piece examining Farmer’s track record as Browns GM.
Browns senior offensive assistant Kurt Roper will finish the season with the team, but he’s on track to become South Carolina’s new offensive coordinator, Cleveland head coach Mike Pettine confirmed today (Twitter link via Ulrich).
With the 49ers on the schedule for Cleveland this week, ex-Niners punter Andy Lee reflected on his time in San Francisco, praising the franchise for how it handled his traded to the Browns. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com has the story, along with Lee’s quotes.

Browns Acquire Andy Lee From 49ers

June 8th, 2015 at 4:49pm CST by Ben Levine

MONDAY, 4:49pm: The 2017 seventh-round pick going from the Browns to the 49ers is conditional, Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports tweets.

SATURDAY, 1:34pm: The Browns have indeed cut Lanning, notes Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald (via Twitter). He was scheduled to make $585K this season.

1:27pm: Lanning confirms his end of the transaction on his Twitter account, thanking Cleveland fans. As Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle points out (on Twitter), the Browns’ new punter will count $2.55MM against the cap, while the 21-year-old Pinion is slated to make just more than $483K.

12:42pm: 49ers fans have had to watch as some of their favorite, long-time players have departed this offseason. Supporters can add another subtraction to the list, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that San Francisco will be shipping punter Andy Lee to the Browns in exchange for a 2017 seventh-round pick. According to Schefter (via Twitter), the Browns will also be releasing punter Spencer Lanning.

The move shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, as the 49ers selected punter Bradley Pinion if the fifth round of this past year’s draft. Still, there’s no denying the impact Lee had on the team during his 11 seasons in San Francisco. The 32-year-old has yet to miss a game since being selected in the sixth round of the 2004 draft, and he’s collected three Pro Bowl and four All-Pro selections in that span.

Lee is still one of the top punters in the league, and he’s consistently finished in the top-10 of Pro Football Focus’ (subscription required) rankings at the position. Lee averaged 46.8 yards a punt last season, good for sixth in the league. He has the second-most career punts among active players, trailing only Texans’ punter Shane Lechler.

Lee will certainly be an upgrade over Lanning. Despite finishing third in the league in punts (93) last season, the 27-year-old finished in the bottom-10 for average punt distance. Pro Football Focus hasn’t handed out a positive rating to a Browns punter since Brad Maynard in 2011.

NFC West Notes: Lee, Davis, Washington

June 6th, 2015 at 2:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Anthony Davis‘ sudden retirement announcement and caveat this may be a boxing-style sabbatical rather than a move similar to ex-teammates Patrick Willis or Chris Borland will feature financial ramifications.

Should Davis indeed return next season or in 2017, it will likely cost him the signing bonus money he intends to pay back to the 49ers, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The 49ers will place the right tackle on their reserve/retired list, retaining his rights and locking in his 2015 salary for the next season in which Davis plays, if he does. But Florio notes the 2011 labor deal doesn’t contain language about a player returning to the game’s ability to recoup signing bonus money he returned, which could lead to the 49ers and the NFL management council to argue that the bonus money is gone forever. In Davis’ case, that figure is $4.66MM.

NFL Insiders also suggest to Florio that Davis could have said his 2014 concussion was limiting his ability to play and force the 49ers to either cut him or place him on injured reserve instead of him retiring with a much bigger hint at a return to the game than most who retire offer, complicating this process.

Here are a few other Saturday-afternoon items from the NFC West.

Retirement, trades or free agency have besieged the 49ers’ Pro Bowl contingent of its roster, which was one of the league’s healthier stables last season, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. The team’s trade of Andy Lee marked the fifth Pro Bowl performer — after Mike Iupati and Frank Gore‘s traditional exits, and the retirements of Patrick Willis and Justin Smith — San Francisco has lost in the past three months.
The 33-year-old Lee, midway through a six-year, $20.5MM extension he signed in 2012, will make $2.55MM this season in Cleveland, but his cap figure balloons to $4.13MM by 2018, writes Branch. Assuming Lee’s spot, 21-year-old draftee Bradley Pinion led all Power 5 conference punters with 33 induced fair catches, according to Pro Football Focus. The ex-Clemson punter who’s stood out this offseason with the 49ers flashed potential in high school with a 100-yard kickoff at a national showcase.
Daryl Washington‘s murky future remains, especially after the Cardinals linebacker’s agent hasn’t exactly been timely with paperwork, reports Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. Eligible for reinstatement 60 days prior to the one-year anniversary of his suspension (May 30, 2014), Washington has yet to force any action from Roger Goodell since agent Jordan Woy hasn’t submitted his reinstatement application. Woy plans to do so soon, but as Somers points out, a player who’s met the criteria to return and has the desire to do so would’ve probably had the application submitted the first day it was permitted.
The Rams are shuttling three candidates into first-team reps, with Tim Barnes, Demetrius Rhaney and Barrett Jones vying to replace Scott Wells, reports Joe Lyons of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Second-year pro Rhaney, from Tennessee State, received the first snapping work on Friday after spending last season on IR.
Greg Robinson‘s shed 20 pounds and is working out at 319 currently, notes Lyons. The 2014 No. 2 overall pick is still recovering from offseason toe surgery.

NFC West Notes: Wilson, Irvin, Lee, Gunter

May 2nd, 2015 at 3:36pm CST by Rob DiRe

Contract talks between the Seahawks and Russell Wilson are going “a little slow,” according to head coach Pete Carroll, reports Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). They are talking, but are not progressing as fast as the two sides would like. Condotta writes that Adam Schefter of ESPN followed that news up by reporting that Wilson is looking for guaranteed money of a quarterback while the Seahawks are trying to sign him for less (via Twitter).

Here are some other notes from around the NFC West:

Condotta also points out that while Carroll says nothing is final about a possible extension for former first-round pick Bruce Irvin, but also says nothing to a report that the Seahawks would like to trade the young linebacker (via Twitter).
The 49ers have not asked punter Andy Lee to take a pay cut, but drafting Clemson punter Bradley Pinion in the fifth-round certainly puts his future with the team in question, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). Cole notes that Lee is scheduled to make $2.05MM in base salary in 2015, suggesting the team could look to save some money at that position on the roster.
The Cardinals felt forced to trade up in the fourth round to select Delaware State’s Rodney Gunter, as they were convinced that another team drafting in that area was going to take their coveted defensive line prospect, according to Kent Somers of AZCentral.com (via Twitter).
After drafting Missouri receiver Bud Sasser in the sixth round, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes Rams have now gone with an offensive player in all six of their selections in the 2015 NFL Draft (via Twitter). They have taken three offensive linemen, a quarterback, and a running back to go along with Sasser so far, in hopes of building up an offense that has been far behind their stout defense the past few seasons. The last defensive player they have chosen was Michael Sam in the seventh round last year.