Niners Believe Pinion Will Continue to Improve
A little more than a year ago, the 49ers surprised the media and fans by selecting punter Bradley Pinion in the fifth round of the draft when they already had longtime pro Andy Lee – a three-time Pro Bowler.Then the Niners traded the reliable Lee to the Cleveland Browns for a seventh-round pick in the 2017 draft.The move saved the 49ers some money, of course, but it could prove to be a solid football decision, too.While Lee continued to perform at a high level for the Browns, ranking eighth in the NFL in average yards (46.7) and 15th in net yards (40.1), Pinion came on strong in his first season. The 6-foot-5 former Clemson standout was 27th in average yards (43.6) and 23rd in net yards (40.1), but he was tied for sixth in the NFL with 31 punts inside opponents' 20-yard line. Also, Pinion took over kickoff duties from Phil Dawson and gave the 49ers a huge boost, putting more than 60 percent of his kicks into or out of the end zone for touchbacks. The year before, Dawson had just a 43.8 touchback percentage.As the 49ers head toward training camp – veterans are due to report July 30 in Santa Clara – Pinion gives the team a solid, young punter/kickoff specialist...
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