Raheim “Rocket” Sanders provided a boost on special teams in the opener, returning a kickoff 74 yards to set up a field goal. He’ll get the chance to further launch his young career with an enhanced role on offense after Dylan Sampson was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.
Sampson, a fourth-round pick in 2025, sustained a knee injury on a kickoff return Sunday in the 34-10 loss to the Jaguars. In addition to taking Sampson’s spot on kickoff return, Sanders moved into his role as No. 2 running back behind Quinshon Judkins.
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Sampson must miss at least four games on injured reserve and could return this season. In 16 games, he’s rushed 65 times for 175 yards and caught 33 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns.
The Browns promoted running back Jaleel McLaughlin (5-foot-7, 187 pounds) to the active roster from the practice squad. He’s in his fourth NFL season out of Youngstown State after being signed by Denver as an undrafted free agent.
McLaughlin appeared in 41 games with the Broncos, rushing 226 times for 1,093 yards and three touchdowns and catching 59 passes for 263 yards and four touchdowns. He’s the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher with 8,166 yards, adding 79 touchdowns.
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Sanders, who was undrafted out of South Carolina in 2025, rushed once for 1 yard, caught three passes for 25 yards and returned three kickoffs for 130 yards against the Jaguars.
“I felt like I did good,” he said Monday. “I’m always going to say I can do better, just sharpen up the little things. But otherwise I feel like I did good, but we didn’t get to win. So that’s something that I harp on a lot. I can do good all day, but the win mattered more to me.”
He became the third-down back after Sampson exited in the first half.
“I’m just being where my feet are really, and just when my name get called, just be ready,” Sanders said. “I just continued to learn in the room and to know all the plays so I can get put at any position.”
Sanders spent three seasons at Arkansas before one at South Carolina. He totaled 3,111 rushing yards, a 5.4 average and 28 touchdowns, adding 76 catches for 771 yards and five touchdowns.
He appeared in four games as a rookie with one start, rushing 27 times for 92 yards and a touchdown — the Browns’ first of the season. He had three catches for 21 yards.
At 6-0, 230 pounds, he’s a load to bring down. He also showed his speed on the long kickoff return, posting a league-high 21.33 mph.
“Green grass,” he said of what he saw on the play. “I definitely say we’ve been in the meeting rooms heavy just harping on just every return that we had. That was one that I saw come to life. And whenever I saw it, I just hit it straightforward and everything after that was just history.”
The Browns signed running back Eric Gray, tackles Obinna Eze and Xavier Truss and punter Wes Pahl to the practice squad. Cornerback D’Angelo Ross and defensive tackle Chris Williams were released from the practice squad.
Gray (5-10, 211) was a fifth-round pick of the Giants in 2023 and has appeared in 34 career games.
Eze (6-8, 325), a native of Lagos, Nigeria, will count on the roster as part of the International Player Pathway Program. Originally signed by Detroit as an undrafted free agent in 2022, he’s spent time on the practice squads of Detroit (2022), Pittsburgh (2023) and the New York Jets (2023-24).
