Luke Floriea delivered one of the best stories of the Cleveland Browns’ preseason, but it may not be enough to earn him a place on the initial 53-man roster.
Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com projected Floriea as one of the team’s final cuts despite the local product making some big plays in the preseason.
“Odd men out will likely be Mentor native Luke Floriea, who caught three touchdown passes in the past two preseason games, and Gage Larvadain who’s one of Sanders’ favorite targets,” Cabot wrote in her roster projection.
Cabot has the Browns keeping six receivers: Jerry Jeudy, Isaiah Bond, Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion, Malachi Corley and Tylan Wallace.
Floriea has momentum and made a strong closing argument. But Cleveland has considerable draft capital and established special-teams value invested in the players ahead of him.
Luke Floriea Made Most of Browns Opportunities
Floriea finished the preseason with six receptions for 95 yards and three touchdowns. His first big play came against the Chicago Bears, when he connected with Shedeur Sanders for a 35-yard gain.
Floriea then led the Browns with two receptions for 31 yards against the Buffalo Bills, including an 8-yard touchdown on Cleveland’s opening possession.
Floriea saved his best performance for the finale. He caught three passes for 29 yards and two touchdowns in the Browns’ 37-13 win over the New England Patriots. Both scores came from Dillon Gabriel in the first quarter, covering 6 and 14 yards. Floriea nearly secured a third touchdown but it was overturned after review.
“He almost got three. If he hadn’t drifted on the end cut, he gets the touchdown for God’s sake,” Browns head coach Todd Monken said. “He’s got three game balls, pretty cool. Is that not cool as hell? For that kid, in this state, with the Browns, that’s something he’ll remember forever, and I’ll remember it forever, too.”
Floriea has become a fan favorite because of his local ties and unlikely path. He attended Mentor High School before playing at Kent State, where he finished with 100 receptions for 1,321 yards and 12 touchdowns over five seasons.
The Browns initially signed Floriea after he participated in their 2025 rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. His first preseason was cut short by a serious hamstring injury, but Cleveland eventually brought him back on the practice squad and signed him to a reserve/futures deal.
“All he does is come out and practice his rear end off and make plays when called upon,” Monken said. “I just love the way he plays football. The guy loves football, and all he does is come out and compete every day and make plays when given opportunities.”
Browns Retooled Receiver Room Around Young Talent
Floriea’s roster push came as the Browns made a significant move at receiver, releasing Cedric Tillman before the preseason finale.
Tillman was a third-round pick in 2023 and appeared in 38 games with 19 starts for Cleveland, catching 71 passes for 833 yards and five touchdowns. However, injuries limited him during his final two seasons, and he had fallen behind several younger receivers on the depth chart. The Browns released Tillman before the initial round of roster cuts.
Cleveland used premium draft picks to overhaul the position, selecting Concepcion in the first round and Boston in the second. Both are expected to have immediate roles alongside Jeudy, while Bond has positioned himself for a larger workload in his second season.
Wallace’s special-teams experience strengthens his roster case, and Corley offers another versatile option who can contribute after the catch and potentially in the return game.
Browns Predicted to Cut Breakout Preseason Star