Coach: Eli getting ‘calibrated’ with offensive system
Davis Webb isn’t sure of his plans Friday night, but he’ll probably go out to dinner.
Thurs d ay night? Webb knows exactly where he’ll be.
Even if he won’t admit it, the backup quarterback will be watching to f ind out if his future remains with the Giants — or if a new successor to Eli Manning is taken with the second-overall pick in the draft.
“I want to see who we draft and who is going to help us this year, who is going to be the newest New York Giant,” Webb said Wednesday. “If they draft somebody, they feel like it’s going to be the best player for our team, that’s up to them. I don’t get paid to make those decisions.
“I just know that I’m going to get a chance. I want it to be here, let’s say that. I want it to be the New York Football Giants. ... I know I’m going to get an opportunity in this league and when that comes, I’m going to be ready.”
Manning had no plans to be in front of a TV on Thursday.
Because, though all the focus is on the future, Manning’s status as the starter will reremain unchanged next seseason. First-year coach Pat Shurmur named Manining the starter in January. Now, after just one practice,i Shurmur has gained a new appreciation for the two-time Super Bowl MVP under center.
“This guy’s a pro, so, what you noticed about him is you only have to runu a play or two and he gets the drill calibrated andn he gets his feet right anand he makes the throw,” Shurmur said before the seconde minicamp session. “I quickly, after being with him one day on the field, seee why he’s been so successful for so long. He’s a pro, and I admired what he did in the first time out.
“I see a guy that genuinely cares. I see a guy in the latter stages of his career that wants to learn a new offense just like he’s a rookie. He’s got that enthusiasm and I’m looking forward to seeing him lead our team.”
The new coach also called Manning the “fittest 37-yearold that I’ve ever seen.”
“I guess he hasn’t been around too many 37-year-olds, maybe,” Manning joked. “I feel good. I’m moving around well. I’m always working on my flexibility and my conditioning and offseason lifting and everything, so I haven’t relaxed on that in any sense. I know I need that to kind of keep up with those other guys, but I feel good in that sense and I have to keep it that way.
“I think 37 is young, so it’s all perspective.”
Though Manning’s status as starter is safe, little else seems certain after his role in a 3-13 season.
In the offseason, Manning said he spent a lot of time working on getting his “feet moving fast” and maintaining his “fast-twitch movements.”
Manning said t he new offensive system isn’t a “huge change,” likening it to a combination of what the team ran under former offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride and coach Ben McAdoo.
“I think every coach is going to be a little different,” Manning said. “I think [Shurmur] does like to coach on the field. Some coaches like to just run the plays and then coach you in the film room after. He likes to, each play, have a quick discussion. ... He’ll grab a receiver, he’ll grab me and just talk a little bit about what you do well, what you could have done better. I think he had a good demeanor the whole time.
“It helps, obviously, when you feel that the coaches and the GM and everybody is excited about working with you, has your back and looking forward to good things. Obviously I have to prove that and do that every day and get on the field and make sure I’m making the right decisions, protecting the ball, making good throws and learning this offense quickly.”