The Cleveland Browns are adding a former New Orleans Saints wide receiver to their practice squad.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Monday that Bub Means, a 2024 fifth-round pick by the Saints, is joining Cleveland after clearing waivers. New Orleans waived Means on Saturday as part of its cutdown to 53 players, ending a three-year run with the team that drafted him 170th overall out of Pittsburgh. Means was not announced with the initial group of practice squad players by the Browns.
Means has appeared in seven career regular-season games with one start, catching nine passes for 118 yards and one touchdown. All of that production came late in his rookie year.
Availability, not ability, has defined his career to date. He missed the final nine games of 2024 with an ankle injury, then landed on injured reserve in 2025 after hurting the same leg in the Saints’ preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, wiping out his entire second season.
Means led New Orleans in receiving yards in the preseason opener before quieting down against the Los Angeles Rams and sitting out the finale with an injury.
At Pittsburgh, Means led the Panthers in receiving yards and touchdowns as a redshirt senior in 2023, hauling in 41 passes for 721 yards and six scores. He turned 25 in January.
Browns Don’t Bring Back Luke Floriea
One of the most notable names still available is Luke Floriea, the Ohio native and Kent State product the Browns waived Sunday.
Floriea finished the preseason with six catches for 95 yards and three touchdowns, tied for second on the team in receptions. He closed with three receptions for 29 yards and two scores against the New England Patriots, both from Dillon Gabriel in the first quarter.
Head coach Todd Monken said the conversation on cut day was not easy with Floriea but he appreciated the mentality that he brought to the team.
“On the one hand, I was happy he was part of our team for the short time we had him. All he did was work every single day. And the opportunity to have a couple of touchdown catches in the stadium — he was fired up about that,” Monken said. “It wasn’t easy but his outlook was awesome. He loves football and wants to coach. He gave everything he had in the time he was here with us.”
Floriea was not in the initial wave of practice squad signings by the Browns and its unclear if he will stick around with the Browns. Kole Wilson and Means were the pass-catchers added by Cleveland.
Deeper Receiver Room Squeezed Out Camp Standouts
The Browns kept six receivers on their initial 53-man roster: Jerry Jeudy, KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston, Isaiah Bond, Malachi Corley and Tylan Wallace. Cedric Tillman, a 2023 fourth-round pick, was waived before the preseason finale.
Concepcion, the 24th overall pick in April’s draft, is positioned for a significant rookie workload. Monken has been explicit about wanting the ball in his hands.
“From what we saw when we drafted him and then getting him here, I hope we’re trying to get him the ball as often as we can,” Monken said. “That dude is explosive. He’s tough. He’s got great contact balance. He understands situational football.
“We’ve got to find a number of ways to get him the ball. He’s going to be a real weapon for us.”
Boston also had a strong camp and will be a presence on the outside for Cleveland at 6-foot-4, with strong contested-catch ability.
The Browns open the season on September 13 at Jacksonville.