Rookie outside linebacker Diyral Briggs earned his spot on the 49ers' 53-man roster this week the old-fashioned way: He was promoted from the practice squad.
We join this conversation in the middle as Briggs was talking about his late start playing football. He said he thought he was the "next Michael Jordan" until he was talked into playing football as a junior in high school.
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Veteran tackle Tony Pashos, who was played on injured reserve with a broken shoulder blade this week, won't get on the playing field for the rest of the season. But he is still trying to make a contribution to the 49ers' offensive line.
Pashos pieced together an extensive video breakdown of every player on the Indianapolis Colts' defensive line to serve as a tool for the 49ers' offensive linemen this week to study in preparation of Sunday's game.
"It's been a big help," 49ers left tackle Joe Staley said. "The offensive line coach can only do so much. Our coach (Chris Foerster) stays until forever and breaks down as much film as he can. He'll put together all the run tapes and situations, but this gave us an extra jump.
"He (Pashos) has been a big help this week, as far as getting ready for
"He broke down this year's film and last year's film, all the games, and categorized it by player," Staley said.
The video includes clips of players, such as Colts defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, beating opposing offensive linemen. Pashos spliced the film to categorize the video the moves the Colts defenders used to win their one-on-one battles.
"It shows Dwight Freeney beating a tackle, and it'll have 10 spin moves in a row, four bull-rushes in a row, and three dip-unders in a row," Staley said. "He also has a tape put together of those guys getting blocked and what the offensive linemen did."
Pashos can be a big help in the coming weeks. He spent the past two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars of the AFC South. The 49ers face AFC South teams in back-to-back games (
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Coach Mike Singletary was non-committal when asked who would return punts on Sunday against the Colts. He mentioned Nate Clements, Brandon Jones and Arnaz Battle as possibilities. As for Jones, Singletary said he would be the team's fifth receiver behind Michael Crabtree, Isaac Bruce, Josh Morgan and Arnaz Battle.
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INJURY REPORT
49ers - S Reggie Smith (groin) is doubtful; DE Ray McDonald (ankle), LB Takeo Spikes (shoulder) are questionable; CB Marcus Hudson (shoulder), RB Michael Robinson (shoulder), T Adam Snyder (calf) are probable.
Colts - WR Anthony Gonzalez (knee), CB Marlin Jackson (knee), K Adam Vinatieri (right knee) are out; RB Donald Brown (shoulder) is doubtful; DE Dwight Freeney (knee), WR Reggie Wayne (groin), DT Eric Foster (shoulder), TE Jacob Tamme (hamstring) are questionable.
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Very interesting. Pashos has a one year deal and could have just gone home. Looks to me like he wants to play for the Niners next year.
What a class act!! and i loved how he came here and jumped right into the charity work the 49ers do. i hope we keep him around.
Either Scot M. picks quality people or else they get with the program that Sing lays down,once they get here. Walt Harris is doing the same things that Pashos is doing ! Class !
Nice read Matt. Can you please ask coach why Spurlock is not getting a chance on the active roster. Especially at Punt and Kickoff Returns. I thought he showed some skill and speed in the pre-season and was hoping he would get a couple more chances in the Taser each game. And if they tell you he's not ready or hasn't proven himself, I'd like to know why he was kept on the team while Rossum was cut? Thanks again.
The fact that Pashos has concern about his team even though he's not playing for the rest of the year speaks volumes about the kind of player he is. On his own valition broke down film for his unit is unheard of! the guy cares! Well I say the 49ers need to keep this guy around beyond this year.
Real easy to pull for a team with so many high-chacter guys. A bunch of class acts.
I meant CHARACTER.
The question I have is why hasn't somebody drilled one of those ends coming out of that spin move? Drag the center around and blast those guys right when they come out of it?
Even have Gore light them up. One time in the game and it won't happen again. Every time I watch the Colts I am asking myself the same question..and another thing, how come teams don't run a delay to Freeney side when he does that spin move. There is a huge hole there...I just scratch my head. Maul the guy! He sucks against the run and can be a total asset instead of a pain in the ass....Just asking.
Hey Tony P. ..........it shows leadership and character. Take care of yourself and have a healthy recovery. I hope to see you next year wearing a Niners logo. Thank You!!!
Indeed,having guys like this(see Jeff Ulbrich) builds the culture -proud of you Tony!
Hell since he's not playing this year. Can we sign him as a one year o-line coach? It sure wouldn't hurt. He might even teach these guys a thing or two. Lol
It would be best if Pashos came back as a coach. The 49ers need to spend their money and roster slots on above average PLAYERS on their O-line.
Brandon Jones who should be playing a lot, now that the 49ers found a QB with an NFL arm, is being punished by Singletary. It's the only thing that makes sense.
Correct me if I am wrong but the 49ers could have also saved a little money by cutting him since his contract is up at year end.
Either this is a role they saw he could be helpful in or he is thanking the 49ers and earning his money for the rest of the season.
Either way it is a stand up thing he is doing.
I truly hope coach Ray has put together a good scheme to take advantage of Freeney's agressiveness by doing some mis direction plays, roll outs, screens and two step slants. We have to make them pay for rushing the QB.
Also, I am excited about D. Briggs, potentially playing for SP during this game. We are missing Jeff's presence and Diryal should give us a boost in special teams.
i really hope that brandon jones gets to return punts (and maybe kickoffs) for three reasons:
everybody we have tried so far this season was not good enough
jones is one of the few on the team who have already done it in the NFL and
this is a way to get fast b jones on the field without having to play him as WR
at least would be my choice
Hi Matt, Pashos exemplifies a team player. He's taken a negative situation (injury) and turned it into something positive. I think Gore can have a big game Sunday. Indianapolis is like a heavyweight boxer looking for the fast KO. Once they get on top their defensive ends pin their ears back and wreck havoc. If the 49ers can pound early they have a good shot. My take on the game is the first three 9er posessions, if they can make positive yardage on the ground in chunks they will be competitive.
I just want to know why is Jason Hill not an option to return punts or kicks? He has some speed and he has shown he is a playmaker when given a chance. I have total faith in that Briggs will make some good plays for us if given a chance.
Someone asked about Spurlock and why he remains on the practice squad. He can't make the team at WR, so he has to be more valuable than the other players as either a punt or kickoff returner.
I think that Brandon Jones will end up as our punt returner and he is a much better WR so Spurlock fails here. Michael Robinson will remain the kickoff return man. MRob performs very well whenver they give him a rare chance to perform on offense. He is averaging 26.4 yards per kickoff return at this point; Rossum averaged 26.8 yards in his best season.
Robinson is a valuable backup RB and FB, is excellent in pass protection, is a very good receiver out of the backfield, and can also run the Taser. In fact, Singletary mentioned that he knew the position best. Add the fact the MRob is one of our leading tacklers on special teams coverage, and his return abilities, the fact he is a team leader and captain with a multiyear contract, and Spurlock loses out there too. He'll continue to sit on the practice squad, barring injuries.
He's on the active roster, not the practice squad.
Ah... ESPN rumors.
"During a chat on Deadspin, NFL scribe Peter King dropped the following bombshell: "I know two coaches in the NFL who are intrigued with what a running QB like [Tim] Tebow can do by being himself -- Belichick and Harbaugh."
"Some have always wondered if there would ever be a formation with two QBs in the backfield -- one fleet-footed and the other more pocket-oriented -- and we might see this happen if the Pats do elect to grab Tebow in the draft. Instead of converting the most popular man in Florida to a new position, the Pats would then force teams to prepare for both QBs on every play"
and Belicheat and Meyer are bosom buddies...
The Pats have 3 picks in the 2nd round I believe?
Please...no...Peter King?
http://kissingsuzykolber.uproxx.com/2009/10/peter-king%e2%80%99s-championship-cake-recipe.html#more-20551
With the Colts' injury bugs they seem to be inviting us over at the right time. If not now when? Pashos=Teamplayer
...Ah... ESPN rumors....
ESPN is like the sports version of Entertainment Tonight. Just a bunch of crap trying to get viewers. They throw so much BS out there it isn't worth the time to debate it.I
I think throwing little blips from ESPN around is just a waste of time. They're hyping nonsense all day long. It's all about big names and scandals. Big deal. I wish someone would come along and compete with the biggest sports piece of crap ever put on TV.
hi Matt, I am from Italy, this is not strictly related, but I would like to know if there is any chance to meet at Colts game, since this is my first time in USA and my first 49 gsme ever as a special way to celebrate my 50th b.day. thanks anyway for your job
Let's see if he can coach, that might be his future. He works hard.
Pashos is a class act, but that seems to be par for this team. We have a classy group of men wearing our jersey. I've been calling for the Brandon Jones return game for weeks. He runs a 4.3 and we pay him 16 million. Lets get him involved.
Is Pashos an assistant OL coach now?
Pashos seems to be a very classy guy and it is a shame to have his season ended so shortly...we lack depth on the weakest part of our team once again. Haven't been on here in a while but just wanted to say that I have been a non-believer in Crabtree since we drafted him and if the first game is any indication of what he can become then I would be happy to eat my words. The O-line remains a glaring need and I can't help but think Oher would still have been a better fit but kudos to Crabs for working hard and being very non-divaish. Either way I can agree Al Davis is an idiot
I think it's critical that Mc donald is able to play to a decent level this week.Even with Smith playing a really high level he can't do it all by himself, and we don't have any other Dlineman who could apply decent pressure on manning...So do you think he will play and did you see improvment in his ankle this week that gives you the feeling he could be disruptive?
Question: Is Pashos an assistant OL coach now?
My response: No. He's a player rehabbing an injury. --Matt M.
Italian niner, email me and tell me how I can reach you. Send it to my personal email: matt.maiocco@pressdemocrat.com. Thank you.
Comment: Correct me if I am wrong but the 49ers could have also saved a little money by cutting him (Pashos) since his contract is up at year end.
My response: Teams are not allowed to cut injured players without paying them for the time missed. The 49ers are on the hook for Pashos' full $1.2M salary. --Matt M.
I wish you a very happy Birthday and hope niners give us all a gift by defeating INDY this sunday. Go NINERS
Good morning Matt,while listening to the Razor and Mr T friday I heard one of the sports betting pros intimating that J Smith's calf injury is substantial enough to hamper his play,have you seen evidence of this or heard rumors to that effect?
I love the team effort by Pashos, however, if he saw and recognized the need to break down more film, then why wasn't someone doing this before?
"It's been a big help," 49ers left tackle Joe Staley said. "The offensive line coach can only do so much."
To me, this points out a huge issue with the coaching staff.
Lodi, I know it's tough for you to make a post without running somebody down, usually without much substance, but in this case Pashos is an additional help because he played for Jacksonville the past two years and knows first hand about the teams, like Indy, that we will be playing in that division, specifically the Dlines. Turning a big positive into a negative is pretty flimsy even for you, grape guy.
Skeebers, I am not trying to "run somebody down" while he is doing a positive thing. As a CEO, my job is to focus on trying to find areas of improvement to maximize business profit and growth potential. The similarities of managing a football team and a business are amazing. That being said, what surprises me about the Pashos article is that he is filling a need that seemingly went unrecognized by team owners and management. What he is doing is great, but you need to answer this: Is this a need that has gone unfilled or unrecognized since the start of the season, or is this a need that only surfaced because of the upcoming AFC games? The Niners are a team on the edge of being a playoff quality team, and they therefore need to manage themselves accordingly. This article gives me the impression that coach Foerster needed somebody to assist him on this since day 1 of the season. If that is "running somebody down", than so be it.
I think smebody has coaching skills for the future! I wish Pashos luck! Sounds like he's got a good start for the future!
"If that is "running somebody down", than so be it."
It just has the appearance of of being negative. Prior to this injury he and the coaches we'd assume were spending full effort to prepare. Pashos had to prepare physically and mentally for his assignment and the game.
Now that he's injured he isn't preparing for the team, so he's using his time to help the other guys. It's just a re-allocation of a resource, he's expending his knowledge in film bread-down using time not available to him previously.
"a huge issue with the coaching staff" - Really? Just because something Pashos is doing to help (and we don't know if it will have any discernible help in the game)? Yea, that sounds pretty negative to me. You made an assessment with so little info that it isn't credible. Staley said its a big help, but he's also just giving credit to Pashos, supporting a team member.
If you have a lot of turn-over in your business it might be you're rushing to judgment too quickly in employee decisions. Hey, this blog might make you a better manager! :)
As a fan, you really like to see things like Pashos did trying to help his team win any way they can. It really shows a dedication to the team. The Niners need quality character players on the roster. Sure, Pashos isn't the best lineman in the NFL, but he is adequate. He's better than Barry (cough.. cough... cut him... cough) Sims!! I like Pashos more now then I did when they signed him. He is not starter quality as a NFL caliber lineman, but he could serve a good backup role down the line. His character will certainly be factored into his evaluation at the end of the year. After reading this article, I am going to start pulling for the kid to play well. Good Luck Pashos!! GO NINERS !!
I believe the only reason Jones is not getting a bunch of playing time so far is because until 2 weeks ago he was too injured to get on the field. He should get more time starting today ! Especially with smith at QB.
And Lodi,it IS only because Pashos played for a team last year that played the Colts twice,that he is helping the coaching staff break down this game . If he was not hurt and still playing,they still would have picked his brain about his experience playing the Colts twice a year. What would you have Jed York do,hire a new consultant to the staff every week that has experience playing against that weeks opponent? That would be impossible to find ! And even if you could find a former player who played O Line against that weeks opponent to hire,then why stop there? Wouldn't you also be angry if they didn't hire an additional former player who played against that weeks opponent who played against their offense and against their special teams etc etc. ? Or maybe Jed should hire someone new every week who played FOR that weeks opponent,so every week we could get a greater knowledge of that teams entire playbook etc.
It was a nice thought on your part ,but I think we will just keep doing what all the other teams do,breakdown the film of the weeks opponent and learn about them in that way.
But I do understand your thought process.