San Francisco 49ers: Ranking top 10 trades in franchise history
By Peter Panacy
No. 6: 49ers Punter Andy Lee
Traded by Packers as 2004 sixth-round pick (188th overall) with 2004 seventh-round pick (226th overall) to 49ers for 2004 sixth-round pick (179th overall)
Yes, punters are people, too.
And San Francisco had one of the best in NFL history for a while there, Andy Lee, who was acquired by a 2004 NFL Draft trade with the Green Bay Packers who wanted to move up in Round 6.
With the newly acquired selection, the Niners would grab one of their cornerstone special teams aces for a long time.
Lee would go on to spend 11 years in San Francisco, setting numerous team records during the process while securing three Pro Bowl nods and three first-team All-Pro selections during that time.
Yes, the vast majority of Lee’s 49ers teams were bad, meaning he saw a lot of action. But he certainly made the most of it, and one can only guess how much worse those Niners teams would have been if Lee had been acquired by someone else instead.