Will dropping text column on SQL Server 2014 lock the table? I have been tasked to drop a text column from a production SQL Server 2014 table.

The table contains 61,683,821 records.

Question: will dropping the column lock the table (or cause similar disruptions)?

Bonus question: one procedure references the column (the column does not allow nulls - so, on insert we are using an empty string). Can I wrap the ALTER TABLE and ALTER PROCEDURE in a single transaction without issues? (that is, alter the table and remove the reference from the procedure).

Thanks...  I'm the developer, not the dba... why they want me to do this, I don't know :(

Update  I can answer the first question.  The DROP was instant and caused no problems.  I chose not to use a transaction.
I performed the DROP command and it was instantaneous.

I did not attempt to wrap the DROP and ALTER PROC in a transaction however.