The odds of an undrafted player making an NFL 53-man roster are relatively slim, and it’s fair to say a 5-foot-8 player that suited up for the worst team in the FBS last year making a final NFL roster is a long shot. However, Luke Floriea has a chance to do it.
The Kent State product received a rookie minicamp invite from the Cleveland Browns, and made the initial 90-man roster. Floriea flashed for the coaching staff ever since the month of May, and will apparently be a tough player to cut.
“We can’t guard him right now,” a team source told ESPN.
Floriea picked up the nickname of “Rambo” from coach Kevin Stefanski, when the rookie decided to don an orange bandana under his helmet. There’s no other team Floriea would want to try out for, as he describes himself as a Browns fan from birth.
“The day I came out the womb I was a Browns fan,” Floriea said, via the Akron Beacon Journal.
The Mentor native caught 44 passes for 699 yards and seven touchdowns for the winless Golden Flashes last season, and also returned a combined 10 punts and kicks for 152 yards. Perhaps making an impact as a returner is key to making the initial 53-man roster.
Despite his size, Floriea has shown the ability to create separation. He appears comfortable making those tough sideline catches, or working across the middle — as he showed during his college days.
“I’ve always kind of been that undersized kid,” Floriea said. “I felt like I was under recruited. I didn’t get as many opportunities as I wanted to at the beginning of my college career.
“When I get my chance, I’m going to make the most of it. That’s kind of my ‘why.’ I kind of got a chip on my shoulder, like all undersized guys do. But I just want to prove myself right that I made the right decision going to Kent, made the right decision coming out and giving this my best shot.”
Floriea’s next big opportunity to make his mark comes this Friday, when the Browns travel south to take on the Carolina Panthers in their first preseason game.
