Cleveland Browns: Brandon Wilds makes strong first impression

The Cleveland Browns recently added former South Carolina running back Brandon Wilds to the roster, and he’s already grabbed his head coach’s attention.

The Cleveland Browns made a backfield roster move on Friday, dropping George Atkinson III and adding former South Carolina running back Brandon Wilds. Wilds almost immediately got the attention of head coach Hue Jackson.

According to Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan, the Browns focused heavily on the running game during Saturday’s first padded practice of training camp. Per Ruiter, Wilds ended the first 11-on-11 session by blowing past the defense and racing into the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown.

Jackson appeared to be impressed, per Ruiter (via CBS Cleveland):

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"“I want to find out more about him,” Jackson said, adding he “looked pretty impressive to me running the football.”"

The Browns are looking to add depth in the backfield behind Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson. The team used a seventh-round pick on N.C. State product Matthew Dayes in the draft and recently added Wilds to the mix.

If the buzz is to be believed, though, the Browns may utilize Johnson in the slot more than in the backfield this season. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com recently reported that Johnson is the No.1 candidate to be the team’s new slot receiver.

If this is true, the Browns may have room for a couple of backs in their rotation — possibly Dayes and Wilds. For Wilds, who had 10 carries for 27 yards with the New York Jets last season, Saturday was a solid first step toward earning a backfield role.

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As for Cleveland, the franchise hasn’t been discriminatory to this point in terms of how players were added. If there’s talent to be utilized, they’ve been using it thus far in the rebuild. Subsequently, Wilds’ first impression could go a long way if he continues that form.

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