The Detroit Lions placed wide receiver Nate Burleson on injured reserve Wednesday, two days after he broke his leg in a 13-7 loss to the Chicago Bears.
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With Burleson out for the season, the Lions signed former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Brian Robiskie to help add depth to the team's receiving corps.
Selected by the Browns in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft, Robiskie has not played since October 2011. He was cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars last month. The former Ohio State standout has 39 career receptions for 441 yards and three touchdowns.
"We've seen him for a couple of years, looked at him when he came out in the draft," Lions coach Jim Schwartz told the Associated Press. "He's got good size, very good technique, got a little bit of experience."
Burleson was the Lions' No. 2 receiver behind Calvin Johnson. He had 27 catches for 240 yards and two touchdowns before the injury.
Schwartz talked to reporters about Burleson's importance to the team.
"We'll be able to replace Nate as a player, but Nate brings more than just his physical abilities to the field," Schwartz said, according to the Detroit Free Press. "Nate's a very good leader, a very good guy in the locker room, and he'll still be around, but we need to also pick that up on the practice field and in the locker room."
