The San Francisco 49ers have made a further move to address their interior defensive line, striking a trade with the Houston Texans for Maliek Collins that will likely end any prospect of their longest-tenured player Arik Armstead returning for 2024.

San Francisco plans to release Armstead later on Wednesday after the 2015 first-round pick refused to take a pay cut as part of a contract restructure. There had been some talk Armstead could return to the team, but that now looks extremely unlikely. The 49ers are also set to lose another defensive tackle, Javon Kinlaw, after he agreed a one-year contract with the New York Jets.

But the 49ers have moved to quickly mitigate those departures, with the trade for Collins following them striking a two-year deal for former Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Jordan Elliott.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the 49ers are sending a seventh-round pick to the Texans in exchange for Collins, who last season had five sacks, eight tackles for loss and 18 quarterback hits.

According to Pro Football Focus, Collins had 45 total pressures, ranking 19th among interior defensive linemen.

For the low opportunity cost, Collins represents a potential bargain for the 49ers given what he can do as a pass rusher.

Though it is Nick Caserio in charge of the front office in Houston, 49ers head coach and general manager John Lynch may send a thank you to their former defensive coordinator, the now Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, for his franchise helping the Niners put themselves in a much stronger position in an area of the team that has long since been a focal point for San Francisco.

Grading all of the San Francisco 49ers’ initial moves during the first wave of NFL free agency

A decent start.