So reframing the discussion back to Kirksey.
His development since the draft has been one of the few redeeming storylines of the Farmer Era. Jim O'Neill's scheme asked a lot of the front seven. Linemen and linebackers couldn't specialize, they might rush or maintain. They might shift out of their preferred gap assignments play to play. Many players were exposed when forced into uncomfortable roles.
Kirksey was different. Initially I thought he needed to add functional size when drafted, but he seemed to be a sound tackler and decent in coverage for his height. Then in 2015 he emerged not only as a middle linebacker, but as an outside linebacker who could cover and blitz as well as any linebacker on the team. Last year, he really put it all together escaping O'Neill's asinine scheme, and also finding a scheme versatile partner on the other side in Collins.
Now I'm at the point that linebackers aren't a worry for me, as long as the group stays healthy. I haven't felt that way about the Browns front seven since that first year of Pat Shurmur when the front office went on a linebacker spending spree in free agency, and this group should be younger and better.