Mothman wrote:I think too much importance is being placed on the view that Webb came out of college as a player who should be converted to another position. Rich Gannon was drafted to play another position too (I believe the Pats wanted him to play safety) but he eventually ended up being a very good NFL quarterback.
Webb got a brief shot to play receiver with the Vikes and he wasn't impressive. They practiced him at the position, played him a little bit here and there, and decided he was better off at QB. It was Webb's pro day workout (as a WR) at UAB and his sophomore season playing WR that probably led him to be viewed as a WR coming out in the draft. Maybe he was just advised by his agent or somebody that he would have a better chance to get to the NFL playing that position than QB. It doesn't necessarily mean that every scout, coach and team other than Brad Childress and the Vikes saw Webb as a pro receiving prospect.
If you look at Webb's college stats, they reflect clear development as a QB. By his senior year, he was completing just under 60% of his passes. He threw for 2,299 yards, 21 TDs and just 8 INTs while also rushing for over 1400 yards. If he's going to be a starting NFL QB at some point, his game needs to be developed but he's not without genuine potential. He has a strong, arm, incredible mobility and escapability, etc. he needs to work on reading defenses and accuracy but those are areas in which a QB can actually improve with practice and coaching. With the team in rebuilding mode anyway, I don't see why it isn't worthwhile to spend a season developing Webb as a QB and see what happens.
Jim
Webb's stint at WR was a very short one. He was converted to QB early in camp by Childress. Sure he got a few token reps at WR during his career but certainly not the type of development one needs when switching from QB to WR. Nothing like say, a Ryan D'Imperio, received when he switched from LB to FB. He was certainly a multifaceted player coming out of college, with the potential to play multiple positions, but I think the consensus was his best shot at an NFL career was at WR. I think that's what Spielman drafted him to be.
Also, Webb played WR at the Senior Bowl. When you play WR in that sort of game and at your pro day as you pointed out, it's probably safe to assume most scouts projected him to be a WR rather than a QB at the next level.
"Joe is one of the most phenomenal athletes in the country," Senior Bowl President and CEO Steve Hale said. "He reminds me a lot of former Senior Bowler Matt Jones of Arkansas, who also played quarterback in college but came here as a wide receiver. I can tell you that there is a lot of interest from NFL personnel to see him line up as a wide receiver here in Mobile."
All that being said, I agree with keeping Webb. Sage is simply too old to be a viable option here and while Webb and MBT are very raw, they at least have youth on their side. I would expect to see both Webb and MBT replaced after the year barring any significant growth.