The San Francisco 49ers may be looking to move on from punter Bradley Pinion. The team's fifth-round draft pick out of Clemson in 2015 reportedly isn't expecting to be back, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic.
"I've heard that Pinion has been telling those around him that he doesn't expect to be back," writes Barrows.
Parting ways with Pinion would leave defensive lineman Arik Armstead and safety Jaquiski Tartt as the only remaining players from the 49ers' 2015 draft class. Pinion averaged 43.7 yards and 39.1 net yards (No. 24 in the NFL) on 68 punts in 2018. 22 of his punts landed inside the 20-yard line.
"Still, he also handled kickoffs for the 49ers, which is significant considering the team has leaned on older kickers like Gould and Phil Dawson in the past," Barrows added.
Barrows notes that the 49ers coached Stanford punter Jake Bailey during the Senior Bowl and that he too handled kickoffs for the Cardinal. Bailey could be an option to replace Pinion. He averaged 44.1 yards per punt as a senior in 2018.
Pinion was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week this past season after a three-punt, 164-net-yards performance during Week 9 against the Oakland Raiders. The game included his season-long 64-yard punt.
The 49ers have already locked up kicker Robbie Gould for the 2019 season. He too was scheduled to become a free agent on March 13 before the team used the non-exclusive franchise tag on him. Gould is set to earn $4.971 million on his one-year deal.
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