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Browns Sign Star LB Christian Kirksey To Four Year Extension

By Sam Beckenstein

Sep 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns inside linebacker Chris Kirksey (58) before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Ravens defeated the Browns 25-20. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns inside linebacker Chris Kirksey (58) before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Ravens defeated the Browns 25-20. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Cleveland Browns announced Tuesday they’ve agreed to a four-year, $38 million extension, with $20 million guaranteed, with leading tackler Christian Kirksey.

The star linebacker is one of the few remaining players from the Ray Farmer era, and one of the very few hits that they had in their tenure through the draft. He was taken in the third round, 71st overall of the 2014 draft.

Kirksey is a versatile, and athletic linebacker who plays both inside and outside linebacker for the Browns and enjoyed a career year last season. Last season Kirksey broke out totaling 143 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and three passes defended. He’s one of the building blocks of the future for the Browns’ young defense and has been improving steadily from years one through three.

The team released a statement from Kirksey following the announcement of his extension:

"First and foremost I want to thank the Haslams for this opportunity and the organization for believing in me, Hue Jackson has been telling me from day one that I have a chance to be a great player in this league and for them to offer me this contract speaks volumes. 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."

Kirksey’s been improving in all aspects of his game, and his grades have increasingly gone up on the PFF grading scale. He’s improved from a 62.5 his rookie season to posting a solid 81.5 last year. Finally, the Browns are building something that’s worth watching, and Kirksey will be one of the centerpieces of this team for years to come now.

Finally, the Browns are building something that’s worth watching, and Kirksey will be one of the centerpieces of this team for years to come now.

With Kirksey in the middle, the Browns have the pieces in place to build a potentially dominant defense in the future with Myles Garrett, Carl Nassib, Emmanuel Ogbah, Danny Shelton, Jamie Collins, DeMario Davis, Joe Haden, and Jabrill Peppers headlining their defense.

Next: NFL Draft: 10 sophomores poised to breakout

Exciting things are happening in Berea, Ohio right now; things are starting to look up for a team that was historically bad in 2016.

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