Even with an influx of talent from the past two NFL Drafts, the Cleveland Browns are still considered to have one of the worst rosters in the league. Despite that status, they do have some difficult decisions to make to get to the 53-man limit by the upcoming Sunday deadline.
In addition to the debate over whether to keep four quarterbacks, the Browns also have to determine how many wide receivers they are willing to carry to open the season. It will directly impact the future of preseason standout Luke Floriea.
An Ohio native who played at Kent State, Floriea has caught three touchdowns in the past two games, including two from quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the first quarter of the finale against the New England Patriots on Thursday. In the three preseason games, he had six receptions, second to another wide receiver competitor, Gage Larvadain, who led the Browns with 11 catches.
Despite that production and local connection, insider Tony Grossi said he believes the Browns could make a surprising roster cut and let go of Floriea at the deadline on Sunday.
“Tony Grossi thinks it will be ‘tough’ for the Browns to keep WR Luke Floriea on the 53-man roster,” ESPN Cleveland posted.
.@TonyGrossi thinks it will be "tough" for the Browns to keep WR Luke Floreia on the 53-man roster.
Do you agree? https://t.co/MJu2hZHaed
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) August 28, 2026
A more likely path would be for Floriea to go back to the Browns’ practice squad. Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2025, he did receive a reserve/futures contract in January, so Cleveland did have some sort of plans for him.
Now, Floriea is competing for the final potential wide receiver roster spot, behind Jerry Jeudy, Isaiah Bond, Tylan Wallace, and rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. After the Browns waived Cedric Tillman, the decision could come down to a choice between Floriea and Malachi Corley, who may have an edge as the Browns’ potential kickoff returner.
Cleveland’s quarterback decisions could greatly influence how this all works out. If the Browns make the rare move to carry four QBs on the final roster, that would obviously limit a spot elsewhere. But if they were to trade Gabriel, as has been rumored, that could allow them to keep an additional wideout who can also contribute on special teams.
If Floriea does get let go, it is possible he could draw interest around the league and wind up elsewhere.
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