Aside from the selection of Myles Garrett, nothing for the Cleveland Browns this offseason has been as easy as the decision to sign Christian Kirksey long term.
The Cleveland Browns officially locked up Christian Kirksey to the tune of a four-year $38 million dollar extension with $20 million guaranteed which kicks in after the final year of his current rookie deal. This means that the Browns have Kirksey for a total of five more seasons. Assuming Kirksey gets it all, it works out an average of $9.5 million per season over those four seasons and the Browns are smart to pay it.
Drafting Kirksey was one of the best decisions of the Ray Farmer era. And for all of the criticism that can laid on Farmer, particularly for the debacle that was the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, (arguably the worst in history) Farmer did pick Joel Bitonio in the second round and Kirksey in the third, both now locked up for the foreseeable future. Farmer also brought in Isaiah Crowell that year as an undrafted free agent, who might be poised for a big year himself.
Now, he and fellow linebacker Jamie Collins represent what should be the strength of this Browns defense.
Kirksey is coming off a breakout season, recording 96 solo tackles (12.7 percent of the team's total), 2.5 sacks (9.6 percent), ten tackles for loss (25.6 percent) and three pass deflections. It became an almost weekly occurrence that Kirksey would knife into the backfield and take down an opposing back, short circuiting the play before it even started.
On top of that, other than Joe Thomas, there might not be a player on this roster more passionate about being in Cleveland. Since he's been a Brown, Kirksey has been an enthusiastic part of this team and when the prospect came up to getting a contract done, he jumped at the opportunity.
"Hue Jackson has been telling me from Day 1 that I have a chance to be a great player in this league and for them to offer me this contract speaks volumes," Kirksey said in a statement. "I am glad to be here and to be a Brown for a long time. This is my home. This is where I want to be. I love my teammates and we are ready to get this thing rolling."
"I am excited for the future."
This a great story and the Browns can certainly use a few of those. The Browns drafted Kirksey, he wants to be here, he's coming off a nice year and they get the contract done. The analytical part of this changes it from a nice story and turns it into a terrific football move.
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Here's Kirksey's production at Iowa:
Solo Tackles: 15 (10.2 percent of the team's total the three years he was a starter)
Tackles for Loss: 13.5 tackles (6.9 percent)
Sacks: 5.5 sacks (9.4 percent)
Pass Deflections: 6 (5.1 percent)
Interceptions: 4 (12.1 percent)
Forced Fumbles: 5 (13.5 percent)
Kirksey did a little bit of everything and produced at a high level. Now, his athleticism:
Height: 6-1.75
Weight: 233 pounds
40-Yard Dash: 4.58s
Vertical Jump: 36″
Broad Jump: 10′
3-Cone Drill: 7.11s
Short Shuttle: 4.42s
Bench Press: 16 reps
He's got the height, size and speed to get the job done, showing good explosion and pretty good agility. Kirksey is a good athlete across the board.
But what really takes Kirksey to another level is his age. He is going to turn 25 years old in August. He's already played three seasons and all 48 games in his career and he's younger than Garett Bolles, the 20th overall pick by the Denver Broncos in this year's draft.
Kirksey is going to be on his second contract, is an established player and he's about the same age as teammates Cody Kessler, Spencer Drango, Seth DeValve, and Carl Nassib. Kirksey's going to be counted on to be a big time player while the Browns are hoping the others pan out as draft picks.
Another aspect of this signing is leadership. While young, Kirksey was a two-time captain at Iowa and he has brought that same sense of ownership has to the Browns.
Nov 27, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns inside linebacker Christian Kirksey (58) during the first quarter between the Cleveland Browns and the New York Giants at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Giants won 27-13. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
Even though he's not even 25 years old, Kirksey is a vet, one of the few on the defensive side of the ball. He has a lot of respect in the locker room as well as on the field. Kirksey makes the calls, has the ability to adjust at the line and is responsible for quite a bit. The addition of Jamie Collins is not likely to change that fact nor is Kirksey's projected move back to outside linebacker.
So, now the leader of the Browns defense is going to paid like one. And with that contract and the one to Collins (4 years, $50 million with $26.4 million guaranteed) comes pressure to deliver.
The Browns have a pair of linebackers that can be as good as any duo in the league and they will be counted on to deliver that in order for this defense to make the drastic improvements the team wants. Kirksey is locked up until 2021 while Collins is in the fold until 2020. Expectations are and should be high for them.
In addition to having both Kirksey and Collins under contract until 2020, the Browns also have the following defensive linemen under contract for the foreseeable future.
Myles Garrett – 2020 (Team option for 2021)
Larry Ogunjobi – 2020
Caleb Brantley – 2020
Emmanuel Ogbah – 2019
Carl Nassib – 2019
Tyrone Holmes – 2019
Danny Shelton – 2018 (Team option for 2019)
Xavier Cooper – 2018
Nate Orchard – 2018
It's doubtful all of these players make the team. In the case of a few, they are likely to be in direct competition for roster spots. Regardless of what combination of defensive linemen the Browns keep, the team has them all under control for at least the next two seasons with many of them under control for three or four.
The last piece of the Kirksey puzzle is the Browns and new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams have the front six in place and can really develop them as a group. There won't be constant turnover and the defense should develop an identity on that side of the ball.
The Cleveland Browns are always a team that can use a positive headline and Kirksey as a story delivers. More importantly, they also need as many great football moves as possible and with what Kirksey has done in his young career, the type of person he is and the analytics this team values, he has it all. The Browns keep the leader and a foundation of their defense for years to come.
