All offseason long, undrafted receiver Luke Floriea has been making waves because of his performance at camp, which previously had coaches telling ESPN's Jeremy Fowler that they were struggling to guard him. To make the story even better, Floriea is a local product from Mentor, Ohio, and attended Kent State University from 2020 to 2024.
Cleveland didn't play any starters in their preseason opener outside of a few, which provided Floriea to shine in a game-setting with Shedeur Sanders, who had been building a connection all offseason. Unfortunately, Floriea suffered a hamstring injury on his incredible one-handed catch in the preseason win, and the Browns ended up waiving him with an injury designation on Monday.
Luke Floriea waived with injury designation following hamstring injury
It's an incredibly tough break for the standout undrafted free agent, as his strong offseason, coupled with a great preseason game (90.9 PFF grade in 14 snaps), had him trending towards a shot on the 53-man roster. On top of his strong play, the Browns' depth at receiver is mostly unproven, which would have only increased his chances of cracking the active roster.
Should Floriea clear waivers, he will revert to injured reserve. Reports suggest he will not need surgery and is expected to be ready in two to three weeks. Nonetheless, the team seems interested in retaining him on the practice squad when he's healthy.
The Browns also signed cornerbacks Christian Holmes and Darius Rush while waiving offensive tackle Roy Mbaeteka. With Greg Newsome II nursing a hamstring injury, Martin Emerson Jr. done for the year, and undrafted LaMareon James in concussion protocol, the Browns could use all the healthy bodies possible at the cornerback position.
It seems like there's a good chance that Floriea's days in Cleveland aren't done yet, which is a great sign after the local product turned heads this summer. For now, more reps for receivers Gage Larvadain and Kaden Davis to continue trying to make their mark.