Broncos sign 7th round rookie Jammie Kirlew

On Tuesday, the Broncos announced the signing of their second pick of the seventh round, defensive end/linebacker Jammie Kirlew. The deal, a four year contract worth $1.84 million dollars with a $50.000 dollar signing bonus, is similar to the deal Syd'Quan Thompson received when he signed his contract last Friday.

Kirlew played in 48 games for Indiana, starting 41. Over his four years, he collected 220 tackles, 9 forces fumbles and 6 fumble recoveries. He also had 23 sacks and 52.5 tackles for loss.

From the start of the draft, the Broncos had their eye on Kirlew. He told Gray Caldwell of DenverBroncos.com:

“I was getting a couple of calls through the draft from them,” the linebacker said. “They were telling me that no matter what they were trying to get me up there. They found a way to get me up there and I’m excited."

When the Broncos realized Kirlew was still on the board after trading back into the seventh round, they decided to grab him with their final pick. Kirlew posses a lot of the qualities that head coach Josh McDaniels looks for in a player: versatile, hardworking and smart. Kirlew left Indiana with two degrees, in public finance and management. Said Kirlew:

“The smarter player I become, I think definitely my instincts are going to be faster,” Kirlew said. “I’m going to be able to make more plays and be quicker on the field, which is going to be important for me to be able to be productive in the NFL.”

With a lot of depth at the linebacker position, Kirlew will have to work hard to claim a roster spot once the final cuts come around at the end of August. But if anyone is up for the job, it will be Jammie Kirlew.