With longtime defensive tackle Arik Armstead on his way to Jacksonville, the man who will assume his role for the 49ers in 2024 is only looking to be himself.
“I don’t think you replace a person like Arik Armstead, the person he is in the community, the person he is on the field, Maliek Collins told local reporters Thursday on a conference call. “I’m just here to add my skillset and bring who I am to the table.”
Collins, 28, arrived in exchange for the first of the 49ers’ two seventh-round picks in the 2024 draft. The 49ers also confirmed previously reported deals with defensive tackle Jordan Elliott and Yetur Gross-Matos to two-year deals and a one-year contract to bring back Kevin Givens.
The 49ers have yet to announce the signing of edge rusher Leonard Floyd.
Joining Armstead on his way out from the 49ers is Ray-Ray McCloud, a wide receiver and return specialist who reportedly agreed to terms with the Atlanta Falcons.
None of the exits come as a big surprise, as Armstead’s availability due to repeated injuries mde his $17.4 million salary and $28.4 cap number problematic. Armstead, the longest tenured 49er at the time of his release, played in 21 of 34 regular season game the last two seasons due to knee and plantar fasciitis issues.
Armstead played 859 snaps for the 49ers over the last two seasons while Collins was playing 1,302 snaps for Houston.
According to Bleacher Report, Armstead will get $51 million over three seasons in Jacksonville, where the G.M. is Trent Baalke. Without signing bonus money or guarantees made public as of yet, it’s hard to know if that figure is truly representative of what Armstead will earn.
Baalke was the G.M. in 2015 when Armstead was a first-round draft pick. Collins presumably much cheaper than Armstead should he have elected to take a pay cut, with two years left on his current contract with $8 million guaranteed this season.
At 6-foot-2, 310 pounds, Collins comes in with a lower center of gravity than the 6-foot-7 Armstead. He is coming off his best season in terms of sacks (five) and quarterback hits (18) under DeMeco Ryans, the former 49ers defensive coordinator.
“DeMeco called me ot to inform me the trade had went through,” Collins said. “I was grateful for that. I think that just showed his character, that he would call and break the news himself. We said our thank yous and he said I couldn’t be going to a better organization with great people.”
Collins, a former third-round draft pick by Dallas out of Nebraska in 2016, played four seasons with Dallas and one with the Las Vegas Raiders. He has spent the last three with Houston and has had his eye on 49ers line coach Kris Kocurek since meeting with him at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine when Kocurek was with the Detroit Lions.
“I’ve actually been waiting to be coached by him my whole career,” Collins said. “I met with him a lot during the combine process back when I came out and I’ve come full circle.”
Collins came out the same year as Hargrave, and said the two work out together in the offseason.
According to The Athletic, a straight trade of Collins for Armstead was scuttled when the Texans instead signed edge rusher Danielle Hunter.
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“I’d heard there’d been a couple of talks,” Collins said. “My agent had called me and when the Texans had informed him it could be a possibility. What a great place to be though. A place that’s had a lot of success, a storied organization, I couldn’t ask for a better situation. It did come as a surprise, but I’m super excited to be here.”
In two seasons with the 49ers, McCloud caught 26 passes for 378 yards and a touchdown in 29 games. He missed five games due to injury in 2024. The 49ers’ primary punt return specialist with 57 punt returns for 559 yards over two seasons, McCloud had a broke wrist at the start of the season and missed time with a fractured rib later in the season.