The 49ers saw all they needed to see from rookie punter Bradley Pinion during three weeks of the offseason program.
And the advertised competition is over before four-time Pro Bowler Andy Lee ever had a chance to compete to retain his job.
The 49ers traded Lee to the Cleveland Browns on Saturday, a league source confirmed to CSNBayArea.com. The 49ers will receive a seventh-round pick in the 2017 draft in return, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.
It was apparent that Pinion was the overwhelming favorite to win the job after the 49ers invested a fifth-round pick on him in the draft, but general manager Trent Baalke said the team was not sending a message to Lee.