New York Giants: Team needs to manage the Webb hype
By Curt Macysyn
In most NFL cities, the back-up quarterback is very popular, but are folks in the Big Apple that anxious to get rid of Eli Manning?
When the New York Giants signed Geno Smith, everyone thought it was great.
OK, Smith signed a team-friendly contract, and he has skills. Then again, maybe New York Giants fans missed part or all of his New York Jets tenure. Maybe they don’t remember that whole first quarter debacle against the Buffalo Bills.
Maybe everyone just wants to view things from their Giants-blue colored glasses.
New York Giants
Realistically, if the New York Giants coaching staff can coax an NFL career out of Smith, then they really are miracle workers.
I remind you that they were not miracle workers with Marvin Austin, Adrien Robinson, James Brewer, Brandon Mosley, and my personal favorite, Jayron Hosley.
Remember, everyone is a future star in May after the NFL Draft is completed. Isn’t humorous that general managers get to grade themselves at the after-draft press conference?
Which brings us to Davis Webb.
Bringing in Webb makes sense, especially since the Giants currently have an opening at the back-up QB position. And if he turns into a quality NFL player, then everyone will agree with the move.
Keep in mind, we heard the same optimism when Ryan Nassib was drafted in 2013, and it never materialized.
I’m not passing judgement on the Nassib pick; quarterbacks are more hit or miss than other positions. In retrospect, Nassib was a miss. I am simply reminding everyone to move cautiously with Webb.
News Flash: Webb is competing for a back-up position
Already the hype is a bit much.
James Kratch of NJ.com dedicated an entire article to Webb’s first day at Rookie Camp.
"Kratch writes, “…adding Webb was a smart move, and why there will be so much attention paid to him this offseason and preseason. The Giants hope he doesn’t have to play anytime soon, but they have to develop him as if he will. Webb will be covered that way too, to document his development and journey. It remains to be seen if Webb will actually become the Giants’ quarterback of the future.”"
OK, fair enough. But Kratch dedicated a lot of attention to a player he also claims is a project. His article is a contradiction of sorts.
The headline in the New York Daily News on Saturday tells a different story:
Davis Webb isn’t officially Eli Manning’s successor but he’s turning heads at rookie camp
It’s been all of one day that Webb has been in the system, and he is already turning heads. Boy, you guys don’t remember Tyrone Wheatley and Jarrod Buch, do you?
Eli Manning’s New York Giants Future
It’s ironic that people dismissed Brian Billick when he suggested this exact dynamic would take place in a pre-draft interview.
"“That’s tough to do. I don’t care how classy those guys are. To embrace, ‘Oh, this guy is here to replace me,’ is it two years? Three years? Because you started that clock when you expended a first-round pick on a quarterback. They’ll do the right thing, but that’s a tough environment. … To bring in a quarterback now, I’m not saying it’s the wrong decision. But I think you are underestimating the dynamic of the locker room,” Billick said according to NJ.com on April 26, 2017."
Imagine what the headlines would be if the New York Giants expended a first-round pick on a Deshaun Watson or Patrick Mahomes.
Related Story: Put Davis Webb on New York Giants Quarterback Radar
Interestingly enough, if fans read past the Daily News headline, they would have come across this sentiment from head coach Ben McAdoo.
"“[Webb] is a work in progress,” McAdoo said. “You can tell he’s put a lot of time into it in the offseason preparing for Indy, in the pro workouts that he had. Again, we’ve got a long way to go there.”"
McAdoo will utter a similar statement probably a hundred times during training camp. Guess what? It won’t matter. Just like when the respected John Mara tried to tamp down the Webb hype and pump up Eli Manning’s future this week. It didn’t matter.
At some point in time, Webb will have to pass the “eye test”. Despite what Reese and McAdoo say, it will become obvious if the kid can play in the NFL or not.
Just like his ill-fated Super Bowl clock, Jerry Reese has put a time clock on Manning’s career. It started before the draft when the Giants telegraphed that they would be drafting a quarterback.
The New York Giants now have to effectively manage that process, or they will throw a Super Bowl opportunity out the window, playing with their shiny new toy.