The Texans are signing veteran running back Marlon Mack to their practice squad, according to a league source.
Mack was released Tuesday.
Mack was outperformed by impressive fourth-round rookie running back Dameon Pierce, who's expected to be the Texans' primary running back.
A former 1,000-yard rusher with the Indianapolis Colts who tried to resurrect his career with the Texans, Mack showed occasional flashes of his old explosive form during the preseason. He also displayed some hesitation at times.
He was limited to 32 carries, and 127 yards over the past two years due to a torn Achilles tendon suffered in the first game of the 2020 season.
After rushing for a combined 1,999 yards and 17 touchdowns across 2018 and 2019, Mack made a full recovery by last year. By then, though, he was behind Jonathan Taylor, a gifted All-Pro runner who rushed for an NFL-high 1,811 yards and 17 touchdowns last season. Mack requested a trade, but nothing materialized. As a free agent, he signed a one-year, $2 million contract that included a $250,000 signing bonus to join the Texans.
The Texans are signed offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi to their practice squad after cutting him from the 53-man roster.
Ogbuehi is a former Cincinnati Bengals first-round draft pick from Texas A&M.
He played for Texans offensive line coach George Warhop previously with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Ogbuehi (6-foot-5, 306 pounds)
The Bengals declined the fifth-year option on Ogbuehi and he came a free agent in 2019..
Ogbuehi has also played for the Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans.
He has played in 60 games with 57 career starts.
Texans general manager Nick Caserio said that veteran wide receiver Chris Conley is expected to be re-signed soon.
Conley was cut from the 53-man roster.
He was signed to a one-year contract in the offseason. He caught 22 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns last season.
Conley (6-foot-3, 205 pounds) has 4.35 speed in the 40-yard dash and a 45-inch vertical leap.
A former Kansas City Chiefs third-round draft pick from Georgia, Conley has 213 career receptions for 2,807 yards and 15 touchdowns.
The Texans signed wide receiver Drew Estrada to the practice squad, per a league source.
Estrada (6-foot, 196 pounds) is a Dartmouth transfer who caught 30 passes for 367 yards last season. He had six catches for 33 yards and one touchdown in the Big 12 championship game.
At Dartmouth, he had 2,392 career all-purpose yards and was a second-team All-Ivy League selection as a wide receiver and return specialist.
The Texans are signing veteran tight end Mason Schreck to the practice squad, per a league source.
Schreck caught a touchdown pass in a preseason victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
Schreck has played in 23 career games with one start for the Cincinnati Bengals. He's a former seventh-round draft pick from the University of Buffalo.
Schreck (6-foot-5, 252 pounds) is an Ohio native and a former high school quarterback. He played in one game last season for the Bengals.
The Texans signed safety Grayland Arnold to their practice squad, per a league source.
Arnold had a sack in the preseason on a blitz against the Rams. Arnold had a strong preseason and is a candidate to be claimed off waivers. The former Baylor standout has made steady improvement over the past year.
The Texans are signing veteran tight end Jordan Akins to their practice squad, per a league source.
He was cut by the New York Giants.
A former third-round draft pick from Central Florida, Akins had 24 receptions for 214 yards on 33 targets in 13 games and three starts last season for the Texans.
Akins has 114 career receptions for 1,260 yards and three touchdowns.
Two seasons ago, Akins caught 37 passes for 403 yards and one touchdown.
The Texans also signed offensive lineman Jordan Steckler to the practice squad, per his agent, Brett Tessler.
The Texans are expected to sign wide receivers Jalen Camp and Johnny Johnson III to the practice squad, per league sources.
Camp caught a touchdown pass against the New Orleans Saints and honored rookie wide receiver John Metchie III with a celebration reminiscent of his crane kick pose he would do after touchdowns at Alabama.
Johnson caught a touchdown against the Saints, too.
He's a former undrafted free agent from Oregon.
The Texans are expected to sign undrafted rookie cornerback Jacobi Francis to their practice squad.
Francis was signed by the Texans after playing collegiately at Memphis.
The Texans are re-signing veteran quarterback Jeff Driskel to their practice squad, per a league source.
Driskel had two clutch touchdown passes during the preseason and the team likes his athleticism. He's a former Denver Broncos starter who was with the team last year and briefly was moved to tight end and broke his collarbone on special teams against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Texans nickel back and special-teams ace Tavierre Thomas is being placed on short-term injured reserve with a pulled quadriceps suffered during training camp, according to a league source.
Thomas is recovering well and expected to return within four to six games, per a source.
The injury represents a setback to the Texans' defense and special-teams units. They will lean heavily on nickel back Desmond King, Tremon Smith and others to make up for Thomas' absence in the secondary.
Thomas had a career-high 86 tackles and two interceptions last season in 16 games with one forced fumble. He played 56 percent of the defensive snaps and 67 percent of the special teams snaps.
Signed to a two-year, $4 million contract last year that includes $2 million guaranteed with a $1 million signing bonus, Thomas started a career-high three games last season.
The former undrafted free agent from Ferris State had a breakthrough season last year for the Texans and had consistently drawn praise from Texans coach Lovie Smith.
Aaron Wilson is a Pro Football Network reporter and contributor to Sports Talk 790.
Aaron Wilson is a Pro Football Network reporter and a contributor to Sports Talk 790.
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