3 reasons Cleveland Browns will miss Christian Kirksey

The Cleveland Browns announced that they have released linebacker Christian Kirksey. While the move was expected, the Browns will have a big hole to fill.

With the Cleveland Browns ending speculation and officially announcing the release of Christian Kirksey, fans have growing concerns about the direction of the organization. The last time analytics ran the organization, the team won one game in two years.

While the executed plan netted players like Baker Mayfield and Denzel Ward, it was a torturous experience for supporters of the team. Football players aren’t created from a spreadsheet.

Let’s take a look at a few of the reasons the Browns will miss the presence of Kirksey.

Veteran Leadership

Since the Browns are more than likely letting Joe Schobert test the free-agent market, Kirksey became the only linebacker on the team with any significant playing time. The rest of the group consists of players still very wet behind the ears.

He was named a team captain three times during his tenure in Cleveland. That doesn’t just happen simply because a player has been around the longest time. That is a direct result of the respect earned among teammates.

Not only is Kirksey a leader in the locker room, but he was also a leader in the local community. Kirksey was known for his charitable works with his Kirkland Foundation, which helps children in Cleveland and his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. He also did work with Towards Employment, which is an organization assists people with job training and job placement. Because of his work, Kirksey was nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2018.

Analytics can measure production but it cannot measure the heart of a man. Leadership cannot be defined by an algorithm and the Browns will surely miss the amount of respect young players have for Kirksey.