Cleveland Browns linebacker Christian Kirksey hasn’t exactly had a great experience through his first four years in the NFL. He’s tasted victory just 11 times in those four years and only once over the last two. He’s had nearly as many defensive coordinators (3) than wins (4) during the last three years, which is indicative of the team’s instability and ineptitude.

However, Kirksey believes this year’s version of the team, which has undergone wholesale changes after last year’s winless campaign, isn’t like the others he’s been a part of.

“Being one of the longest tenured players on the team, I've seen the teams come through Cleveland,” Kirksey said per Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com. “I'm going on to my second head coach, my third general manager, my third defensive coordinator, so I've seen players and front office people come in and out the building, and this is just a different feel.”

Kirksey singled out new starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor for setting the tone for the rest of the team through his leadership and competitiveness, and receivers Jarvis Landry and Josh Gordon for providing a bit of swagger on offense. He also praised rookie corner Denzel Ward, who has looked impressive on the practice field.

This isn’t the first time Kirksey has voiced his optimism about this year’s Browns team. He previously made the bold proclamation that the Browns will make the playoffs this season, which would be quite a turnaround following last year’s 0-16 campaign.

As head coach Hue Jackson has pointed out, the Browns have upgraded at just about every position this offseason following back-to-back disastrous campaigns. It remains to be seen if those moves actually do help improve the Browns this season. But at the very least, they’ve instilled the confidence within the team that can only help accomplish that goal.