Broncos sign LS Lonie Paxton, release LS Mike Leach

by John Bena on Mar 1, 2009 4:31 PM MST in Denver Broncos Roster Moves

The Denver Broncos on Sunday signed unrestricted free-agent long snapper Lonie Paxton, it was announced. As per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The club also released tight end/long snapper Mike Leach, who spent the previous seven seasons with the Broncos.

Paxton (6-foot-2, 260 pounds) is a 10th-year player who spent his first nine professional seasons with New England, which signed him in 2000 as a college free agent from Sacramento State University. He played in 155 of a possible 161 games (regular season and postseason) in nine years with the Patriots from 2000-08, helping the club to three Super Bowl titles, six division titles and eight winning seasons during that time.

For his career, Paxton has played in 141 regular-season games and 14 postseason contests while seeing time in every game during eight of his nine NFL seasons. He has not missed a game in the last five seasons, handling long-snapping duties for the Patriots in 80 consecutive regular-season games and 91 overall games in a row dating back to the start of the 2004 campaign.

A key member of the Patriots' Super Bowl-winning teams during the 2001 (XXXVI), '03 (XXXVIII) and '04 (XXXIX) seasons, Paxton owns 14 career special-teams tackles in the regular season and three such stops in the playoffs.

Paxton was a four-year starter along the offensive line and served as long snapper for Sacramento State from 1996-99. He attended Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., and was born on March 13, 1978.

Tweet Comment 19 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

mike leach was good, but i guess this guy is too

not gonna make a big fuss. its a freaking long snapper!!!

I hate the MSM. saying cutler wants out is taking his statement completely out of context!

by broncoboy on Mar 1, 2009 4:33 PM MST reply actions

but we had two dude!

we needed ALL of them! what would have happened then? Denver would have ruled the day!

"It seems like McDaniels is pouring the Orange and Blue Kool-Aid out of the cooler and starting with a fresh batch of purified water." -Harvey J. Neptune

"We should have kept Seattle and dumped San Diego from the Division"

Davis and Sharpe to the Hall!

by Jon Tollerud on Mar 1, 2009 4:38 PM MST up reply actions

yea! who needs a franchise QB anyway

I hate the MSM. saying cutler wants out is taking his statement completely out of context!

by broncoboy on Mar 1, 2009 4:46 PM MST up reply actions

jk lol

I hate the MSM. saying cutler wants out is taking his statement completely out of context!

by broncoboy on Mar 1, 2009 4:46 PM MST up reply actions

There go my secret plans

For our double long-snapper, eleven step drop, three running back triple Wildcat offense.

You don’t know who’s snapping the ball, or who’s getting the ball, or what they’re going to do with it.

Could that have been defended? I think not!

by Shoemaker on Mar 1, 2009 4:57 PM MST up reply actions

Guru, what does this have to do with Jay Cutler?

I will miss Mike Leach. I had fun playing catch with him at Arrowhead Stadium.

I'm the Hiphopopotamous, flows that glow like phosphorous. I'm poppin' off the top of this esophagus, rockin' this metropolis. I'm not a large water-dwelling mammal, where did you get that preposterous hypothesis? Did Steve tell you that, perchance? Steve...

by papigrande on Mar 1, 2009 4:33 PM MST reply actions

IM OUTRAGED BY THIS MOVE!!!!!!!!!!!

FIRE McD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! jk

I hate the MSM. saying cutler wants out is taking his statement completely out of context!

by broncoboy on Mar 1, 2009 4:36 PM MST up reply actions

So much for that sweet competiton at longsnapper

that I was anticipating at training camp this year….

Now who will I watch at TC?

Concision in style, precision in thought, decision in life.

by Jeremy Bolander on Mar 1, 2009 4:51 PM MST reply actions

maybe no one

didnt NE have closed TCs?

I hate the MSM. saying cutler wants out is taking his statement completely out of context!

by broncoboy on Mar 1, 2009 4:53 PM MST up reply actions

You can watch

Porkchop eat

"It seems like McDaniels is pouring the Orange and Blue Kool-Aid out of the cooler and starting with a fresh batch of purified water." -Harvey J. Neptune

"We should have kept Seattle and dumped San Diego from the Division"

Davis and Sharpe to the Hall!

by Jon Tollerud on Mar 1, 2009 4:54 PM MST up reply actions

That's no real competition though.

Nobody else has a chance against Porkchop.

Aside from maybe Michael Phelps. And we haven’t signed him yet.

by Shoemaker on Mar 1, 2009 4:58 PM MST up reply actions

Hey mike leach

Thanks for the years, fella…

Thanks for never stuffing up. Sorry to see you go.

Darren Bennett... check
Ben Graham... check
Sav Rocca... check
Now if only we can find an Australian who can run and tackle in the NFL and show these Yanks what we're made of.

by orange&blue_aussie on Mar 1, 2009 4:52 PM MST reply actions

Thanks Mr. Leach.

I think as a Long Snapper the great complement is that we never had to really talk about him. He did a solid job for years. I think he will be picked up someone. Best of luck. Thanks for your honorable service to our Broncos.

My image is the Circa 1960-’61 Broncos home uniform sock. Some what folk lore to me ... but referred to as the clown sock by my Dad.

by YellowStoneBronco on Mar 2, 2009 10:32 AM MST up reply actions

The Red Snapper!

We should have gotten the Red Snapper at least!

Go Broncos!

by dbroncos78087 on Mar 1, 2009 4:58 PM MST reply actions

Broncos signed CB Andre Goodman

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/2009/03/broncos-ink-goodman/

Goodman is now a Bronco!

Strength and honor

by kybroncomaniac on Mar 1, 2009 4:59 PM MST reply actions

Bummer

Don’t really get what was wrong with Mike Leach, he had his share of ST tackles too, and it’s not like the longsnapper really has to be a great blocker. But whatevs, hopefully he finds a good home. I guess if Paxton can fill in on the line then this is a good move.

by appleshampoo on Mar 1, 2009 5:22 PM MST reply actions

Leach's problem was....

he was a poor TE would could LS. While he was a very good LS, that’s all he was. Paxton actually is a center AND a LS. This was a two for one deal. We got depth on the interior line and a great LS. We lost a very good LS. On the whole we are ahead.

by SlowWhiteGuy on Mar 1, 2009 6:03 PM MST up reply actions

I didn't see any problem with Leach

I guess McD wants to have his guys over here which I can understand, however if nothing is wrong, then why change it. I know he does play center too which gives versatility.

It is just a LS, so I am not going to make a big fuss over it.

2007-08 MVP: Kobe Bryant

Cutler's 4th qtr/OT game winning drives: 9

by weazel on Mar 1, 2009 7:16 PM MST reply actions