(SportsRadio 610) - The Texans have claimed running back Royce Freeman off waivers from the Carolina Panthers and placed Scottie Phillips on the injured reserve with a leg injury.
Freeman, now in his fourth NFL season, was released by the Panthers earlier this week. He rushed for 77 yards on 21 carries in eight games, including five carries for 17 yards against the Texans on Sept. 23.
In three seasons with the Broncos, Freeman ran for 1,187 yards on 297 carries. He started eight games for Denver his rookie season in 2018.
Meanwhile, Phillips has appeared in just three games for the Texans, who carried five running backs on the 53-man roster before trading Mark Ingram to the New Orleans Saints two weeks ago. Phillips has run for 13 yards on six carries in the last two games and caught two passes for nine yards against the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 31.
The Texans also still have a backfield which includes Phillip Lindsay, Freeman's former teammate in Denver, Rex Burkhead and David Johnson.