A year ago, the New York Giants used a third-round pick on quarterback Davis Webb with the view that he could potentially succeed Eli Manning. Now, that regime is gone, and Webb’s future with the franchise looks less than secure.
Ralph Vacchiano of SNY noted that the Giants’ new braintrust didn’t have a whole lot to say about Webb, calling into question whether a player once viewed as a potential long-term replacement may have no real future with the organization.
“I know nothing (about Webb),” new general manager Dave Gettleman said last week at the Senior Bowl. “I know that he’s a double transfer. I’ve spent some time talking to him. He seems like a great kid. I know he followed Eli around and is learning how to be a pro. That’s what I know.”
New coach Pat Shurmur was slightly more complimentary, but not that much.
“We thought he was an outstanding player,” Shurmur said of Webb. “We liked how competitive he was. He’s got size. He’s got good arm strength. We felt like he was a guy worthy of being drafted and having a chance to be a starter someday. Beyond that, I don’t know much about him. There isn’t much tape out there on him that I was able to see, and so he’s another player that I’m looking forward to getting to know.”
Ultimately, Webb’s future has to be questioned. The Giants made no effort to get him into a game even after Manning was benched late in the season. Plus, the Giants now have the No. 2 pick in the draft in a year with a lot of well-regarded quarterback prospects — a scenario that would not have been viewed as remotely likely a year ago. They may choose to use that selection on Manning’s eventual successor while relying on the veteran quarterback to play a few more years, as they’ve hinted at.
