The purported looming competition at punter between three-time All-Pro Andy Lee and rookie fifth-round draft pick Bradley Pinion will not come to pass after all.

Not with the San Francisco 49ers trading Lee to the Cleveland Browns, as reported by ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, for a seventh-round pick in the 2017 draft.

Truly, the signs were there for Lee, who did not attend any of the Niners’ voluntary workouts, after the Niners used the No. 165 overall draft pick on the 6-foot-5, 229-pound Pinion. General manager Trent Baalke insisted he was merely sticking to his philosophy of drafting the best player available whenever the Niners’ turn came to select.

“First thing, what we saw in Bradley is a big, strong-legged punter that also kicks off,” Baalke said after drafting Pinion. “What it means for Andy, no different than any other position. You come in and you compete. It's not a message to Andy at all.

“It's not Bradley's job; it's Andy's job. It's Brad's job to come in and win that job.”

Until Saturday’s trade.

Pinion had been putting on a show in OTA’s, unleashing punts with hang times better than five seconds, albeit with the South Bay wind at his back at times.

Lee, who was selected by the Niners in the sixth round of the 2004 draft, leaves as the 49ers franchise leader in punts (941), punting average (46.2 yards), net average (39.5 yards) and punts inside the 20-yard line (300).

His punt averages both rank fifth-best in NFL history. Lee was scheduled to make $2.05 million this season.

Pinion, meanwhile, will make $692,200.

“I’m confident in my abilities,” Pinion, who averaged 41.1 yards per punt at Clemson with a 39.2-yards gross average, said after being drafted. He also also had 55 punts inside the 20-yard line with two touchbacks and no touchbacks on 102 punts.

Pinion also handled kickoff duties at Clemson so you have to wonder how this development could affect placekicker Phil Dawson, who is scheduled to make $3.134 million this season.