The San Francisco 49ers bolstered their defensive line on Wednesday, trading a seventh-round draft pick to the Houston Texans for defensive tackle Maliek Collins. The move is also likely to be the final nail in the coffin of Arik Armstead’s tenure in red and gold.
Armstead, also a defensive tackle, is set to leave the Niners after nine seasons with the team, reportedly because he declined to take a pay cut. Multiple reports on Sunday stated that the release was imminent, although it was not a total guarantee. Even as recently as Tuesday, NFL insider Dianna Russini said there was always a slim chance Armstead could come back, although the Collins trade seems to have put that possibility to rest.