Cleveland Rookie Training Camp Review:(1.9) #85 Matthew Deck (WR) 4/-5 56/87GM Jeff Coleman told reporters prior to the Draft that he wanted to get a solid weapon for his incumbent QB John Lyons, and whoever might follow... And Deck fits that bill exactly. The stand-out from Oklahoma demonstrated stellar football smarts, top-flight speed and agility, and an uncanny ability to simply out-muscle defenders when going over the middle. Deck will excel in the next level of football, but coaches are noting that he's having some trouble with the expanded playbook. They believe this won't be a problem in the long run, but may curtail his immediate upside. Despite this, Deck is almost guaranteed to blossom into a solid #1 option.
(4.26) #24 Tyler Roberts (SS) 7/0 41/66A solid zone presence at Northwestern, Roberts made a habit out of punishing receivers and runners alike that came into his area. As good as he was in the zone, however, his man-to-man work was as bad. It wasn't always because of poor preparations or execution; Roberts was too heavy of a hitter at times, leading the conference in unsportsmanlike penalties. Coaches see his potential, however, and state that they'll work on his strengths while trying to shore up his deficiencies... Of course while trying to rein his impactful nature on the proper side of the yellow hankies.
(4.29) #48 Dennis Luna (FS) 8/0 39/66Kentucky's Luna is of a similar makeup to Roberts, but with a bit more refinement in the discipline and man-to-man coverage departments. The two have actually become fast friends, and have been taking to their new coaching like ducks to water. Luna is showing to be receptive to tweaks in his footwork, and should be a solid addition (along with Roberts) to the secondary.
(5.9) #50 Mark Canada (MLB) 7/4 37/68"Oh, Canada!" was a battle cry up at the tiny school of St. John's in New York, as Canada was a potent punch in the middle of the defensive line. While a bit of a lumbering presence, Canada regularly destroyed receivers in the middle of the field. Once he got a grip on someone, more often than not the ball found its way to the ground. His run defense was a bit suspect, but defensive coaches have stated they've found him easy to work with and hope for improvement there. This 5th rounder may come out of nowhere to surprise up the gut and lay out more than one receiver in his career.
(5.23) #89 Clifton Richard (TE)Richard was released coming out of Training Camp due to a surplus of tight ends and inability to find a positional best fit otherwise.
(6.8) #14 Cory Tudor (FS)Tudor was released coming out of Training Camp due to inability to find a positional best fit.
(6.22) #38 Dwight Marshall (SS) 3/1 29/57A solid Penn State product in the secondary, Marshall had the majority of his success in man-to-man situations. His ability to catch and trounce receivers on the edges was a blessing to the Big Ten school. Coaches have pointed out refinements to his techniques, and Marshall has been quick to pick up those, plus refine them into improving a lacking run stop. While his upside is likely limited, Marshall trends to have a good all-around game at his full ability.
(7.9) #97 James Heide (WLB) 4/1 19/44A backup lineman at Stanford, Heide was picked up by Cleveland as a stop-gap measure to back up Ricardo Granham until an acquisition could be made. Heide's skill set is well-rounded, if not impressive, covering the run and pass relatively equally. Exceptional speed, but poor acceleration and poor play of the angles will hamper his performance on the next level.
(Undrafted) #13 James Bender (P) 7/0 55/86Bender went undrafted in 2025, but Cleveland picked him up as an insurance policy to incumbent punter David Davis' dropoff in skill over a surprisingly short time span. The Penn product was highly effective in targeted punting, excelling in getting the ball inside the opposing 20 and planting coffin kicks right where they needed to go at an above average rate. He is a very cerebral kicker, breaking down the angles and wind factors amazingly well, but he is a bit excitable and lacks the 'non-killer instinct' on covering the returns, putting himself at more risk than you'd like in a punter.
(Undrafted) #14 Loyd Lapointe (K) 3/-1 46/77With Cleveland looking to get younger, the kicker position is apparently no exception. Incumbent kicker Aaron Heuser has 8 years under his belt, so the undrafted rookie from Eastern Kentucky was brought in to learn under Heuser's eye. Lapointe has a good and disciplined football eye, and a strong leg. His accuracy at this point is only average, but Heuser and the kicking coaches see the potential there. Lapointe may be a few years from starting, but confidence is good that he'll be a solid kicker in Heuser's stead.
