Mike Adams, Josh Cribbs downgraded

[SJ_Browns]

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JACKSONVILLE, FLA---After the Browns traveled to Jacksonville for Sunday afternoon’s game with the Jaguars at EverBank Field, the team announced that two-time Pro Bowl kick returner Joshua Cribbs and defensive back Mike Adams had been downgraded to “out” for the contest.

 

Earlier this week, the Browns signed former All-Pro and Pro Bowl kick/punt returner Clifton Smith and defensive back Eric King to the active roster.

 

In three seasons, Smith has gained 1,946 yards on 70 kickoff returns and 565 yards on 48 punt returns. As a rookie in 2008, he returned 36 kickoffs for 992 yards with a 97-yard touchdown. He added 324 yards on 23 punt returns, including a 70-yard score.

 

A year later, Smith increased his average to 29.1 yards-per-kickoff-return, which led the league.

 

“Conceptually, he’s had a lot of reps and seen a lot of different schemes and most of those returners, veteran guys have,” Browns coach Eric Mangini said earlier this week. “There are specific things they have to do, things you have to read. Everybody has a different way of coaching to how they want to read the core blocks on their returns. With experience and having done it quite a bit, it should be pretty fluid for him.

 

“He showed really good short-area quickness and even in the tackling drill, it was the first time he had done it; he did a really nice job in terms of closing on the defender and then an excellent change of direction and burst that I thought looked pretty good especially considering it’s the first time he’s done that drill,” he added.

 

King has played with the Buffalo Bills (2005), Tennessee Titans (2006-2008) and Detroit Lions (2009). He has registered 70 total and 61 solo tackles and eight passes defended during his NFL career.

 

“We were fortunate, we picked up a kid in this Eric King who looks great,” defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said Friday afternoon. “He’s working his tail off studying. If the young man is active, we will use him…We’ll be fine. He’s going to be okay and we’re happy we got him.”