obJ at tRaininG session:
Webb spinning more intrigue at quarterback
MONDAY’S MOST encouraging Giants quarterback wasn’t incumbent starter Eli Manning or new draft pick Kyle Lauletta.
It was Davis Webb, the rising second-year passer who stood out on day one of OTAs due to his arm strength, accuracy and impressive deep completions while running coach Pat Shurmur’s new offense against a live defense (finally).
While Manning has been christened the Week 1 starter already — once again the favored son despite being benched in Week 13 of last season for Geno Smith — Webb’s stock will rise exponentially if he has more days like this.
As Manning had one pass intercepted by linebacker B.J. Goodson, another nearly picked by Janoris Jenkins and threw a third behind Sterling Shepard incomplete, Webb was slinging it with confidence and zip. The highlight of the day came when he dropped one perfectly down the left sideline to Roger Lewis in stride.
“I’m just trying to do the best I can,” Webb said after practice. “I know it’s going to be good enough. I’m throwing it really well. I have pretty good command of the offense considering I’ve only known it for about a month and a half. So (it’s about) just kind of getting better each and every day and let them decide.
“My job is to put as much pressure on the coaches that they feel like they have to play me,” Webb added. “Obviously we have Eli so it’s a little different, but that’s my goal: make them feel like if something were to happen or if I have to go in and play, there would be no drop-off. It would only be (me as) the younger guy who’d be a little more antsy.”
Webb, 23, wasn’t perfect obviously. He overthrew one pass, had another batted down on a blitz. But it was significant to see him perform so well, and to be so loose, both under the pressure of learning a second offense in the last 13 months and competing with Lauletta now for the current backup job and perhaps the future starting gig.
Webb, a voracious studier, had binged on Ben McAdoo’s offense only to see the coach fired with Webb not having played a single snap as a rookie. In came Shurmur’s offense, which Webb said is very different and now basically puts Webb and Lauletta on a level playing field learning it (instead of giving Webb a one-year head start).
Although, contrary to what you may think, Webb actually prefers the freedom that the new coach’s system provides.
Webb said going into the NFL Draft he knew there was a possibility the Giants might draft a quarterback, a decision he had no control over. And as a 2017 third-round pick out of Cal, Webb can identify with Lauletta being out to prove himself as a fourth-rounder out of Richmond.
“I thought I was gonna go in the second last year, maybe the first,” Webb said. “Kyle’s been a great addition to our quarterback room so far and I know we’ll have more talks.” Webb said he expects to play golf with Lauletta and veteran backup QB Alex Tanney this coming weekend and bond a bit more.
“He’s a rookie, so his head’s spinning,” Webb said of Lauletta. “(But) we’re all kind of learning this together. I came in here last year, and I remember I said Algebra 20 was Eli and I was in addition. So we’re all kind of learning it together and (Kyle) has asked really good questions and worked really hard, so he’s had a very good couple weeks.”
Webb was the standout among the red jerseys on Monday, though, and could be poised to make this an interesting summer at the most important position on the field.
“I threw some good deep ones,” Webb said. “Today was a good day.”