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BEREA, Ohio --- After recording a season-best eight tackles for the Cleveland Browns in their 16-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, rookie linebacker Kaluka Maiava, a 2005 Baldwin High School graduate, drew praise from his coach on Thursday.

''He's gotten more and more reps, he's gotten more and more opportunities,'' Eric Mangini said in a news conference posted on the Browns' Web site. ''I would expect as he gets a deeper understanding each week, he'll continue to improve.''

The Browns (1-8) have dealt with injuries at linebacker this season, which has caused some shuffling. D'Qwell Jackson and Eric Barton, the starting inside linebackers on opening day, are both out for the season. Jackson was the NFL's leading tackler last season with 154, and led the Browns this season with 59 before suffering a shoulder injury in Week 6. Barton reportedly has a neck injury.

Maiava, a fourth-round draft pick out of Southern California, is seventh among NFL rookie linebackers in tackles with 28, and tied for fifth in solo tackles with 22. Mangini said he was pleased by Maiava's ability to adjust.

''As he gets more and more comfortable with playing inside, with understanding the defense --- and this was true when I met him at USC --- he had a really outstanding feel for the things that they were doing there,'' Mangini said. ''He could explain all the different adjustments, and he had been in that system for quite some time. With a rookie coming into a new system, playing a new position --- and when I say that, we was a weakside linebacker there, but it wasn't in the 34, it was more of a 4-3 type system --- it takes time, and he's worked at it.''

Maiava has 24 tackles in his last four games.

The Browns will visit the Detroit Lions (1-8) on Sunday.