The Cleveland Browns made a flurry of roster moves following the conclusion of rookie minicamp, bringing in a pair of veteran safeties and three wide receivers.
The Browns added safeties Damontae Kazee and Rayshawn Jenkins, two players with solid starting experience on their resumes.
Kazee spent the last three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, appearing in 38 games with 14 starts. He notched five interceptions and 112 tackles over his time in Pittsburgh. Kazee has 17 in his career, notching seven during the 2018 season as a member of the Atlanta Falcons.
Jenkins, a former fourth-round pick, also brings some solid credentials to Cleveland. He’s started 89 during his career with the Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars and, most recently, the Seattle Seahawks. Jenkins collected more than 100 tackles in back-to-back seasons from 2022-23.
Browns Load Up on Wide Receivers
The Browns also made some key additions to the offensive side of the ball, adding depth to the wide receiver unit. Luke Floriea from Kent State, Kisean Johnson out of Western Kentucky and Cade McDonald from Miami of Ohio were all signed by Cleveland after trying out at rookie minicamp.
Florei gets a chance to play for his hometown team and earned a roster spot with a solid performance during his tryout as both a receiver and punt returner.
“Local kid,” Stefanski said of Florei during rookie camp. “I think he’s acquitted himself very nicely. He knows what to do, gets open, catches the ball. He’s done a nice job.”
Florei didn’t have a decorated college resume but caught the Browns’ eye with big plays during his tryout. He recorded 1,321 yards and 12 touchdowns over five seasons at Kent State.
“I’ll tell you what, there’s some guys that are going to make life hard on us, making some tough decisions,” Stefanski said. “And the fun part of our business is they get to go put it on tape and that’s their resume and then we’ll make some decisions.”
Browns Preparing for Quarterback Battle
The Browns needed to add more wide receiver depth as they prepare for a four-man quarterback battle between Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.
Sanders and Gabriel got their chance to shine during rookie camp, and Stefanski was impressed with the young passers.
“They were as advertised,” Stefanski said. “I thought both guys did a really nice job, and there’s so much to work on. And it’s the minutia of the position. It’s some technique things, it’s the operation needs to get better, all those things. That’s why we’re here.”
Sanders’ selection in the fifth round had the potential to make things awkward for Gabriel, a third-round pick. But he’s been embracing working alongside and competing with Sanders.
“Yeah, I love it. You know, I love it because of who it is. I think just for us both, you can learn from one another, but also, it’s not just us two in the room,” Gabriel said. “Going into the year, Kenny (Pickett), Joe (Flacco) and even Deshaun (Watson), just a bunch of guys who played a bunch of ball that we can all learn from one another.”
Sanders and Gabriel joined the veterans on Monday, assembling the full quarterback room for the first time.
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