The San Francisco 49ers signed Anthony Brown this week, and the cornerback is ready to help his new teammates defeat the New York Giants. However, that help may not come from Brown taking the field on Thursday night.
Brown spent his first seven NFL seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, so he is familiar with the Niners' upcoming opponent, having played in the NFC East for many years. Brown was a starter for Dallas until suffering a torn Achilles in December.
"Just getting here, so I'm just trying to basically tell the guys as much as I can, and if they have any questions on little tips and little pointers," Brown told Larry Krueger this week. "The Giants pretty much show up every week in their game plan, and trying to help the corners and DBs as much as I can."
Part of that will be figuring out how to limit dual-threat quarterback Daniel Jones. The 49ers defensive back is cautioning his new teammates about the Giants quarterback's mobility.
"As a passer, I think he got weapons around him, and he can use them," Brown shared, "but I feel like his legs is his most dangerous weapon. If he gets out of pocket and scrambles, then that creates opportunities for people to get open. So I feel like his legs, if you shut that down, then you can neutralize him."
Even with Samuel Womack (MCL) on injured reserve and Ambry Thomas (knee) ailing, San Francisco plans to ease Brown back onto the football field. But the team is excited about the possibilities.
"There's a reason he was on a practice squad, and that was the Achilles injury," general manager John Lynch said Wednesday morning on KNBR. "We like the fact that he was on a practice squad in Pittsburgh, so he had been getting practice. This is a seven-year starter in our league.
"We've had some injuries with Sammy Womack, Ambry Thomas, a little banged up. We've been looking for some veteran depth at the cornerback position, and to be able to find a former starter at a high level who's played both outside and inside gives us a little versatility.
"It's a nice find for us at this point in the season. We got to kind of assess where he's at from a health perspective. He just got here yesterday, and we're excited about the opportunity to work with him. I've always liked the player. ... Somebody we've had our eye on for a while, and everyone's looking for corners all the time.
"... Yeah, there's a reason he's available. It's that he is coming off an Achilles. But it feels like he's at a good place. We'll learn a little more here in the coming days about where exactly he's at health-wise."
Lynch noted that there is a chance Brown will be in uniform on Thursday night, but it would be in a backup role.
"But there is a chance he could dress up and be there in case of an emergency," Lynch added.
The 29-year-old cornerback feels good after recovering from his injury and believes he can contribute to the talent-rich 49ers defense.
"I'm smarter," Brown said. "I feel just as strong, just as fast. And, like I said, I got more knowledge of the game now, so I feel like an even more dangerous player, to be honest."
In addition to helping the 49ers plan for the Giants, Brown's knowledge could be useful a couple of games later, in a Week 5 clash with the defensive back's former squad, the Cowboys.