The Cleveland Browns will begin training camp this year away from the fancy confines of West Virginia, and instead, not have to box everything up and relocate away from Berea.
RELATED: TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE
There will be several battles that every Browns fan will be looking at on a weekly basis.
To start off with, the quarterback situation. In fact, the entire league is watching the Browns for this group to thin out and declare a winner. The reason, obviously, is rookie Shedeur Sanders, who fell from the Top-5 to another five, namely the fifth round.
Because Cleveland has declared they are going back to running the ball, who will be the starting running back? Jerome Ford is the favorite, or, on the veteran side, don’t count out the services of Pierre Strong, plus GM Andrew Berry drafted not one, but two backs in this year’s draft. No clear winner yet.
Defensive tackle and safety were both groups of concern after last year. Will kicker Dustin Hopkins regroup and continue a strong campaign, or will former Groza Award winner Andre Szmyt beat him out?
Then there is the receiver group. In meetings, this room has had to round up some extra chairs because currently, there are 13 pass catchers on the roster. No, not a misprint. Every so many weeks, another one arrives with his duffle bag and backpack, anxious to show that he should be one of the six players the Browns will keep.
Yeah, six receivers. That’s it, most likely.
Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, and probably Jamari Thrash are a certainty. That leaves three spots. Diontae Johnson is the most likely for another if he shows up and becomes focused on what the team needs. David Bell and Michael Woods have been hanging on by a thread for some time now, but neither is assured of anything other than a competitive camp.
Cleveland Browns Rookie Minicamp WR Luke Floriea
Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images
The rest of this group? Gage Larvadain, Jaelen Gill, Kaden Davis, Kisean Johnson, Cade McDonald, DeAndre Carter, and Luke Floriea. Does that make a baker’s dozen?
Here is a guy to watch who isn’t getting any press quite yet. But he will: Luke Floriea.
Beginnings
Floriea is an undrafted rookie. That in itself usually means the road is a lot bumpier when trying to make the final roster of an NFL club. Being taken in the draft basically guarantees a certain amount of money right off, and teams aren’t anxious to cut their draft picks for at least a few seasons. How long did the Browns hold onto third-rounder WR Anthony Schwartz before releasing him? You get the point.
Back to Floriea, which is pronounced as “Flo-REE-uh.” He is an Ohio kid. He grew up in Mentor, Ohio, and attended Mentor High School, where he played basketball and football despite only being 5’-8” tall and weighing 179 pounds. Floriea was an exceptional basketball player, playing 101 contests, and averaged 11.5 points a game, 2.7 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 4.4 assists. 22 times in his final three seasons, he was named the “Player of the Game.”
In football, he played receiver and ran a 4.48 in the 40 with a vertical leap of 32”. As a senior, he had 52 receptions for 939 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was named Second Team All-Ohio, First Team All-District, and First Team All-County. He was listed as a three-star recruit. Athletics run in the family as his sister Paige was a track star.
His X handle is @Luke_floriea2.
His college offers were from UMass, Boston College, Navy, Yale, Air Force, and Kent State. He signed a letter of intent to play for Boston College, but then backed out and went to Kent State. He played in three games as a freshman and was a COVID player, so he ended up eligible for five seasons.
His career totals are 48 games played, 100 receptions for 1,321 yards, 12 TDs, a 13.2 yards per reception average, and four rushes for 23 yards with a single score. Floriea was also a return man with seven kickoffs for a 17.8 yards per return average, plus 21 punt returns with an average of 7.6 yards per return.
After his junior and senior seasons, Floriea was named First Team All-MAC and received a Hula Bowl invite. As a senior, he caught 44 receptions for 699 yards with seven touchdowns. He ranked fifth in the conference in yards per catch (15.9) average.
On to the Browns
The 2025 NFL draft came and went. Floriea did not hear his name called. At his Kent State Pro Day, he ran a 4.51 in the 40, which was slower than he hoped to run.
His scouting report stated that he had a good first step and route-running prowess. Floriea is known for his precise route-running skills, which allow him to create separation from defenders. He had a good showing at the Hula Bowl. The knock on him is his size and smallish frame.
But he is an ideal slot receiver. Think Wes Welker. Floriea has a quick burst and superb route running. He’s quicker than he is fast. And while guys are going to be in Browns training camp to gather film for their future employer, Floriea seems to be focused on making a home in Cleveland. He will be in the hunt to make this team.
Floriea was one of 25 players invited to the Browns’ rookie minicamp in May. After camp broke, Berry signed three receivers on May 12th from this event: McDonald, Kisean Johnson, and Floriea.
During mini-camp, several players stood out, including QB Shedeur Sanders. But none more than Floriea. He caught everything thrown his way.
Now, understand that during this type of situation, there isn’t a pass rush, so of course, every QB throwing looks good. The guys who are covering a player such as Floriea are in the same boat as he is in: the bottom third of the roster. The pads aren’t on, and the main defense isn’t getting too sweaty or trying to impress anyone who is watching.
But that will change once training camp begins. The hitting will begin, and a brutal pass rush will make the game appear faster. No longer will a player like Floriea have a teammate who is struggling to make the roster covering him when Denzel Ward or M.J. Emerson line up against him.
The true test doesn’t begin in NFL games; it begins in Browns training camp against Pro Bowl defenders.
But for now, Floriea is looking like a guy who is getting noticed. Watch him in training camp and in the preseason games. Let’s see what he can do when the lights come on.
Speaking of prototypical slot receivers such as Welker, another example is Julian Edelman, who ironically is also from Kent State.
Maybe Floriea can become one of those rare Ohio trifectas: from Mentor to Kent State to Cleveland.