Cleveland Browns vs. New Orleans Saints

Browns free safety Tashaun Gipson (L) intercepts a New Orleans Saints Drew Brees pass intended for New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham (80) in the second quarter for a pick six. (John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer) September 14, 2014 at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.

(John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer)

BEREA, Ohio – Tashaun Gipson is grateful to the Browns for giving him an opportunity when others teams wouldn't three years ago and he hopes to finish his career here.

The Browns safety, who leads the NFL in interceptions with five, is a restricted free agent at season's end. Gipson wouldn't say whether his agent is negotiating with the club, but told cleveland.com he feels there's a good chance he will remain a Brown.

"I can't even touch that, man, but I'm confident this is where I'll be," Gipson said when asked about negotiations. "I just try to focus on football and let my agent handle that. The Browns are a great organization and I'm more than confident they will keep around the guys who are able to turn this ship around."

Gipson has eight interceptions in his last 10 games dating to last season, and is building case for the Pro Bowl. He acknowledged it's a good season to be in a contract year.

"Absolutely, man, I was talking to T.J. (Ward) about that the other day," Gipson said. "The season's not over. It's still young and there's a lot of football to be played."

If the Browns and Gipson don't reach an agreement they could award him a first-round tender in which the club would pay him at least $3.1 million in 2015 for the right of first refusal and first-round compensation. Other teams then could sign him to an offer sheet, which the Browns would have a chance to match.

Gipson, who's earning $570,000 this year, cautioned it's a "crazy business" and cited the team cutting captain D'Qwell Jackson last offseason. "You never know what's going to happen," he said.

The safety made it clear, however, this is where he wants to play.

"I'd love to finish my career playing in this city," he said. "This is the first organization to give me my opportunity, the first one that took a chance on me, an unheralded guy coming out of Wyoming that nobody wanted to take a chance on. God blessed me to come here so I definitely want to finish my career here, play here in the city of Cleveland.

"I love the coaches, I envision them being here for a long time because I think the winning tradition is on the way."