49ers Trade for Defensive Tackle Maliek Collins

Collins will turn 29 in April, he has started 112 games in his career including 16 last season when he played in the Texans' Wide 9 defense, plus he signed an two-year, $23 million contract extension last year that runs through 2025.

Here comes another yet defensive lineman.

The 49ers traded a seventh-round pick to the Houston Texans for defensive tackle Maliek Collins, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Collins is the fourth defensive lineman the 49ers have acquired this offseason, joining Leonard Floyd, Yetur Gross-Matos and Jordan Elliott.

Collins will turn 29 in April, he has started 112 games in his career including 16 last season when he played in the Texans' Wide 9 defense, plus he signed an two-year, $23 million contract extension last year that runs through 2025. So it appears that he will be Arik Armstead's replacement in the starting lineup, while Jordan Elliott will replace Javon Kinlaw as the backup.

So instead of paying a ton of money to one aging defensive tackle who is coming off a torn meniscus and has had plantar fasciitis the past two years and probably can't play a full season any more, the 49ers have acquired four defensive linemen who are cost effective and durable.

Of course, the 49ers would have been better off simply keeping Armstead if they could count on him to stay and play, but they can't. And when he's out, the defensive line takes a tremendous hit because he's so expensive. Now the 49ers defense won't fall apart if one defensive lineman misses a game or a month.

On a side note, isn't it interesting that the 49ers decided to almost completely overhaul their defense and leave their offense alone this offseason? It's almost like they're blaming the defense for losing the Super Bowl or something.