Browns LB Chrisian Kirksey (1 Viewer)

I'm officially opening up a thread on this kid.

Right now he's going to split reps based on down and situation but so far he's shown he can cover and he's played much better against the run than I imagined, add he's a natural leader who has already gotten respect in the locker room.

Its only a matter of time before he's the full-time starter IMHO.

I see him as a legitimate starting 3-4 ILB by the end of the season and a long-time starter.

Great option after both C.J. Mosely and Ryan Shazier are off the board and I think he will turn out better than both of those guys over time.

Keenan Robinson, Demario Davis or Christian Kirksey? How would you rank these guys based on current situation and upside?? Who's the odd man out?

topjimmy said:

Keenan Robinson, Demario Davis or Christian Kirksey? How would you rank these guys based on current situation and upside?? Who's the odd man out?

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Current situation favors Keenan Robinson IMHO. Should be starting for Washington and get lots more opportunities for tackles whereas Kirksey is currently sharing time with Craig Robertson and Cleveland plans to be a run-based clock control offense and the rest of the D is solid so probably lots of three-and-outs so not as much opportunity both in terms of sharing and number of snaps he'll face.

Long term upside obviously I like Kirkesey's long-term upside. I think he'll eventually assume the starting role and he has skills to be on the field full-time.

I'm just not as high on Demario Davis. Undersized in a Rex Ryan defensive system at ILB doesn't compute in my mind. I could be wrong but he seems like a stop-gap till they find someone who fits better.

Thanks

Bracie Smathers said:

topjimmy said:

Keenan Robinson, Demario Davis or Christian Kirksey? How would you rank these guys based on current situation and upside?? Who's the odd man out?

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Current situation favors Keenan Robinson IMHO. Should be starting for Washington and get lots more opportunities for tackles whereas Kirksey is currently sharing time with Craig Robertson and Cleveland plans to be a run-based clock control offense and the rest of the D is solid so probably lots of three-and-outs so not as much opportunity both in terms of sharing and number of snaps he'll face.

Long term upside obviously I like Kirkesey's long-term upside. I think he'll eventually assume the starting role and he has skills to be on the field full-time.

I'm just not as high on Demario Davis. Undersized in a Rex Ryan defensive system at ILB doesn't compute in my mind. I could be wrong but he seems like a stop-gap till they find someone who fits better.

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spot on for the most part. robinson steps into a more advantageous situation. kirksey is going to be a later bloomer but he could be worth the wait. davis has good leadership and instincts, i guess, but doesn't get the opportunities alongside harris. when/if harris moves on - this is the last year of his contract - davis could be much more productive.

Pretty lame week 1 for him, 1 tackle and 1 sack. Is he getting a good amount of snaps? I'd hope for more volume numbers

Kirksey played 60 out of 72 snaps (~83%).

peyton41 said:

Pretty lame week 1 for him, 1 tackle and 1 sack. Is he getting a good amount of snaps? I'd hope for more volume numbers

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I beg to differ.

He looked GREAT!

Christian didn't start, LB Craig Robertson did and Robertson got singed badly a few times in coverage, giving up long catches on crossing patterns. Add Robertson didn't register anything. No tackles, no assists, no interceptions, so sacks, no passes defensed, no forced or recovered fumbles. Nadda.

The Browns carry TWELVE defensive backs. Let me say that again, the Browns carry TWELVE DBs. More than any other NFL team.

Seems that Pettine bases his entire defensive philosophy on coverage schemes and blitzing so I think he was using Robertson more in coverage till he got burned and then he put in the rookie.

Kirksey looked good, very good from what I saw. Much better than Robertson and I think it was obvious so I think Kirksey will get fast-tracked into the starting job here soon and I also think when he's not playing in Pittsburgh where the scoring is 'suspect' for all IDP players, that his stat line will reflect how well he plays.

Basically I think he's much closer to becoming a starter and I think he's going to be highly productive.

The most amazing thing about Kirksey is he stands only six inches tall.

http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/media-center/videos/Chris-Kirksey-Reacts-To-Madden-Glitch/76dfae5e-37d4-4c92-a0ae-f50a8b4404e9

Ok good to know, I'll reserve additional judgment for future weeks!

Last year Kirksey had a pretty good rookie season but was overlooked due to splitting time with Craig Robertson and their were defensive injuries on the D-Line that lead to breakdowns in the run game.

This year the Browns addressed the D-Line through the draft and get back healthy bodies and that should keep blockers off of the linebackers. The Browns D-line looks solid on paper as LB Christian Kirksey enters his second year in the league when most players take a big step forward. The coaches seem to love him. I had him pegged as a starter last year but I have to admit that LB Craig Robertson really stepped up his game and looked much better than he did the previous year when he didn't fit the scheme as well as the current one Pettine is running.

Kirksey should step up in his second year and he could cement himself as a starter. He plans to start this year.

http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-5/Playmaking-linebacker-Chris-Kirksey-just-getting-started/fdbfcdca-1519-47f9-a22b-dce6543a4678

Playmaking linebacker Chris Kirksey just getting started



Second-year player has big plans for 2015




In 2015, Chris Kirksey wants to start all 16 games at linebacker, make more game-changing plays and be a better teammate by helping newcomers Hayes Pullard and Rodman Noel adjust to life in the NFL.

These aren’t cocky musings from the second-year player from Iowa. These are realistic expectations for Kirksey.



During his rookie campaign in 2014, Kirksey was on the field more than he was not, covering athletic tight ends and chasing down running backs from sideline to sideline. His 81 tackles were fourth on the Browns.



But 81 tackles weren’t enough. Seven wins last season weren’t enough. The humble Kirksey is quick to point out he was sometimes misaligned before the snap, or didn’t know where his help was coming from on certain running plays.



“I still have a lot of proving to do,” Kirksey said after his first OTA practice Tuesday.



The gravity of responsibility Cleveland handed its third-round pick didn’t hit Kirksey until veteran Karlos Dansby injured his knee Nov. 16 against the Texans.



“It was time for me to grow up on the field,” Kirksey said.



Kirksey teamed up with Craig Robertson in the middle, and the drop-off with Dansby cheering from the sidelines wasn’t striking. Kirksey delivered two, clutch third-down tackles against the Falcons, no doubt helping Cleveland escape with a last-second victory in Atlanta. Kirksey earned trust not just from Cleveland’s coaching staff, but also talent evaluators around the league.



Coach Mike Pettine often uses Kirksey as an example to the incoming rookies. The linebacker not only takes the football part seriously but also understands the secondary parts of what it means to be a Cleveland Brown. Kirksey regularly volunteers through the #give10 program in the community, focusing on events with youth, and frequently attends Indians and Cavs games. He was one of nine players selected to model the Browns’ new uniforms at April’s Uniform Reveal.



The head-spinning moments of confusion that all rookies go through were minimal for Kirksey. It’s why he and the Browns aren’t putting a ceiling on his potential.



“Definitely from Year 1 to Year 2, you know what to expect,” Kirksey said. “Your mind isn’t wandering everywhere. You’re still getting better but, at the same time, you are more confident. That’s the biggest jump – you know what you are doing now.”



There’s no telling how big of a jump Kirksey can make with an already solid year under his belt.

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Heads up.

Kirskey gets his shot to start for the next few weeks. LB Craig Robertson is injured and will be OUT for a few weeks so no split reps.

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http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2015/09/in_a_time_of_need_chris_kirkse.html

In time of need, Chris Kirksey gets another shot at validating Cleveland Browns' faith in him​

...It's early in the season, however, and Kirksey gets an opportunity to expand his role because of an injury to a teammate. A year ago, the Iowa product thrived in the same scenario when Karlos Dansby was lost for four weeks to a knee injury. The Browns need the linebacker to elevate his game again in place of Craig Robertson (ankle), who likely will miss several games starting with Sunday's trip to San Diego.