The Associated Press

 

CLEVELAND — Wide receiver Brian Robiskie has been sent on his final down-and-out by the Browns.

A former second-round draft pick, Robiskie was waived Tuesday by Cleveland to make room for free agent running back Thomas Clayton, who played in two games for them last season and has been brought back because of injuries to Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty.

The Browns selected Robiskie with the No. 36 overall pick in 2009 out of Ohio State. A former ballboy for the Browns when his father, Terry, was a Cleveland assistant and later the team’s interim head coach, Robiskie caught seven passes as a rookie. Last year, he made 11 starts and finished with 29 catches for 310 yards and three touchdowns.

However, the 24-year-old’s role was reduced this season and he has steadily slipped down first-year coach Pat Shurmur’s depth chart.

With Hillis and Hardesty injured, the Browns were in dire need of a running back and signed Clayton, a player with whom they have some background.

On Tuesday, the Browns had running backs in for workouts at their training facility in Berea before settling on and signing Clayton, who was active in two games for Cleveland in 2010.

Hardesty is expected to miss games after tearing a calf muscle during Sunday’s 20-10 loss in San Francisco. Hillis remains slowed by a hamstring injury that has kept him out of Cleveland’s past two games.

On Monday, Shurmur said Hardesty would be sidelined for an indefinite period. Hillis’ status for this week’s game at Houston is uncertain.

Clayton was with Seattle during the preseason before he was released. He will join Chris Ogbonnaya in Cleveland’s backfield until Hardesty or Hillis gets healthy. Ogbonnaya has only been with the team since Oct. 18, when he was signed off the Texans’ practice squad.

The 5-foot-11, 220-pound Clayton was signed to the Browns’ practice squad last September. He bounced back and forth between Cleveland and New England. He played in the Patriots’ season finale.