The San Francisco 49ers have strengthened their defensive line by acquiring defensive tackle Maliek Collins in a trade with the Houston Texans for a seventh-round draft pick. The deal is pending a physical examination, according to a person familiar with the trade who spoke on condition of anonymity as the trade has not been officially announced.
This move follows the 49ers’ recent efforts to bolster their defensive line, including agreements with free-agent defensive ends Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos, as well as defensive tackle Jordan Elliott.
The 49ers were in need of reinforcements on the defensive line due to several key players hitting free agency and cost-cutting measures, including the impending release of Arik Armstead.
Maliek Collins, who will turn 29 next month, comes with base salaries of $8 million and $9.5 million for the next two seasons. The Houston Texans will incur a $10 million dead cap hit for the trade to account for a signing bonus paid as part of Collins’ extension last year.