PRIZED PUPIL
Webb studies Quarterbacking 101 under Eli
HE IS the Giants’ first legitimate heir apparent to Eli Manning, but that doesn’t mean Davis Webb is a young man in a hurry, whether he truly has a chance to overtake Geno Smith and Josh Johnson for the No.2 job or not.
It is easy for Webb to be patient, because the sting of falling to the third round of the draft has been reduced, though not replaced, by every pupil quarterback’s dream: a front row seat in the classroom of Professor Eli Manning.
The Education of Davis Webb has been, and will continue to be, a priceless experience, certain to earn him a Master’s degree in Professional Quarterback 101. He has the tools, the temperament and the gym-rat work ethic, and learning under Manning will make him a good bet to be the Giants’ next franchise quarterback.
“It’s easy to be patient because you have a guy in the room like Eli Manning who comes in every day, one of the first people in the building and one of the last ones to leave and he’s been in the league as long as he has,” Webb said. “So that’s what it takes to continue to get better, and he sets the standard, and I need to reach it. So, I’m not there yet, I’m not even close, and Eli’s standard is way up here and I’m down here.
“That’s what I’m striving for every day, and I’m gonna continue to work to get there. Hopefully.”
It will most likely take both Smith and Johnson imploding for Webb to seize the backup job that Ben McAdoo does not rule out, though the rookie is a very quick study.
“It doesn’t affect what I do … the past two days I’ve gotten a lot more team reps in scout settings as well as just team periods,” Davis said. “The biggest thing I kinda do is commit to the controllables, that’s one of my sayings I try to live by. I just try and do the best I can, and hopefully that’s good enough. I think I’ve gotten better every day, and I’m gonna try to continue to do that.”
The Kid doesn’t blink when he is told Manning is talking about playing until he is 40.
“He’s doing great, he’s been playing really well,” Webb said. “We talk just about everything under the sun, whether that be music to movies to football plays mostly, but just I’ve really grown watching him, watching him prepare for this week especially in Cleveland, and just watch him every day in practice, he’s a true professional … I’m blessed to be behind and be in the same room as a Hall of Fame caliber quarterback like him.”
When asked if he would like to play until he is 40, Webb smiled.
“Yeah,” he said. “I’d like to play tomorrow first. I kinda just worry about the here and now.
“But yeah, Eli can still spin it, he’s got total command of this offense, so that’s something I strive to be, is his command of his offense. That’s something I look up to, and he sets the tempo and he sets the standard for the quarterback room. He’s the best quarterback in this franchise’s history and he sets the standard every day.”
The young Manning was more reserved than Davis, and Tiki Barber took plenty of heat when he labeled his quarterback’s attempts at leadership “comical.” Davis looks and acts the part and his commitment to his craft, football intelligence and obsession with being a great teammate make him a natural-born leader. Manning, we know by now, grew into a great leader with those very traits.
“He walks in a room, he has a good presence about him, and all the guys respect him,” Webb said, “especially when we get in the film room or we’ll have meetings, he’s a coach out there, and he’s spinning the rock, too. … It’s just exciting to see the way he interacts with teammates and the way he goes about his business.”
The Kid’s first preseason game was not too big for him.
“I felt good in the huddle, I felt confident,” said Webb, who completed 8-of-16 passes for 67 yards. “I was very happy I was able to go out there, be direct, really call a play and have some confidence with it to the offensive line and the receivers, and I think my footwork was consistent most of the game. There were a couple of plays where I got a little lackadaisical at times, but at the same time, I think I threw a couple of nice balls and I think I got better since then.”
Before it is all said and done, the Giants will thank their lucky stars Davis Webb fell into their laps.
“I find little things that drive me sometimes, but again, I’m already a driven person, and just because I strive for perfection on a personal level and don’t really care what other people say or do,” Webb said. “I just want to be the best I can be, so that drives me enough. That felt like a year ago now, the draft did, so I’ve kinda moved on past that, and I’m trying to continue to get better.”