HEADLINES

Davis Webb

East Notes: Jets, Bills, Eagles, Dolphins

July 10th, 2019 at 8:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets inked former Broncos starter Trevor Siemian to a one-year, $2MM this offseason with the plan to use him as a backup to quarterback Sam Darnold. But as Connor Hughes of The Athletic writes, fellow signal-caller Davis Webb was more impressive during the spring. Webb, a Giants 2017 third-round pick that the Jets claimed off waivers last year, doesn’t have any NFL experience under his belt, while Siemian has started 24 pro games. Gang Green could potentially release Siemian, but they’d be saddled with $1MM in dead money. An alternative, per Hughes, could involve trading Webb for a mid-round pick, although it’s unclear if another club would sacrifice any real draft capital in exchange for an unproven quarterback.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • The Bills have added a number of running backs to complement LeSean McCoy, and the veteran was especially pleased about Buffalo’s signing of Frank Gore, per Nate Mendelson of BuffaloBills.com. “I actually was begging him to come,” McCoy said. “Two years ago we were trying to get Frank and coach (Sean McDermott) asked if I’d like to play with him and I said ‘yeah.’” Buffalo signed not only Gore, but fellow free agent T.J. Yeldon, and selected Florida Atlantic running back Devin Singletary in the third round. Still, the team has been adamant that McCoy remains the starter, although that’s only invited more speculation that he could be traded at some point before the regular season begins.
  • Derek Barnett missed the final 10 games of the 2018 campaign after undergoing shoulder surgery, but the Eagles are still excited about the former first-round defensive end as he enters his third NFL season, according to Dave Spadaro of PhiladelphiaEagles.com. “I’d say every time he’s on the field, he’s rewarding our investment in him,” general manager Howie Roseman said. “We have a lot of confidence in him as a player and he’s a huge part of our football team. He’s shown that this isn’t a guy that’s going into his third year and we haven’t seen what he’s done. We’ve seen what he’s done in big games. We saw what he was doing last year before he got hurt. We expect him to come in and be a huge part of our team.” Now entering his age-23 campaign, Barnett has posted 7.5 sacks and 49 pressures over two years in Philadelphia.
  • Undrafted receiver Preston Williams made a name for himself during the Dolphins‘ offseason program, writes Barry Jackson the Miami Herald. Williams was especially valuable in red zone drills, per Jackson, who also notes Williams is now working with longtime NFL pass-catcher Brandon Marshall (thanks to a connection through now-Miami quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick). Williams, who posted 96 receptions for 1,345 and 14 touchdowns during his final year at Colorado State, is behind DeVante Parker, Kenny Stills, Albert Wilson, and others on the Dolphins’ receiver depth chart.

Extra Points: Elliott, Jets, Titans, Suh, Texans

May 5th, 2019 at 9:53pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s check out some notes from around the NFL as we wrap up the weekend:

  • Could the Cowboys be preparing for a future without Ezekiel Elliott? Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk thinks that could be the case, as the writer believes the team could be taking “the DeMarco Murray approach” of running their star back into the ground before moving on. Florio cites a recent quote from COO Stephen Jones, who compared fourth-round running back Tony Pollard to Saints star Alvin Kamara.
  • Sam Darnold and Trevor Siemian are slotted in atop the Jets quarterbacks depth chart, but there will be some competition behind the duo. As ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes, the organization is likely to only carry four quarterbacks to training camp, meaning one of Luke Falk, Davis Webb, or Brandon Silvers will likely be without a job. Cimini notes that head coach Adam Gase likes Falk’s potential, explaining why the Jets claimed him off waivers earlier this week.
  • Would the Titans consider bringing in veteran defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh? Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com says he has not “heard a lot of internal buzz about this.” Suh did visit with the Titans last offseason before he landed with the Rams, and Wyatt notes that the veteran enjoyed his visit with Tennessee. Plus, Suh has a relationship with Titans defensive-line coach Terrell Williams and lineman Cameron Wake, so perhaps a deal isn’t all that unrealistic.
  • Safety Jahleel Addae‘s one-year deal with the Texans is worth $1.105MM, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The deal includes an $805K base salary, $150K signing bonus, and up to an $150K roster bonus. Addae, 29, was released by the Chargers just prior to the start of free agency after spending six years with the club.

Jets Tender Robby Anderson

March 7th, 2019 at 2:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets announced that they have applied the second-round tender to wide receiver Robby Anderson. The one-year tender will pay Anderson $3.095MM for the upcoming season. 

As a restricted free agent, Anderson can negotiate with any club through April 19. If he signs an offer sheet with a new club, the Jets could match the offer to keep him. If the Jets do not match such an offer, they will receive a second-round draft choice. While Anderson has talent, it seems unlikely that a team will offer him substantial money and forfeit a valuable second-round pick in order to add him.

Anderson, 26 in May, made some noise in 2017 with 63 catches for 941 yards and seven touchdowns. He had a quieter year in 2018, even as his off-the-field antics made noise in the New York tabloids. He finished out last season with a 50/752/6 stat line across 14 games. With upwards of $100MM in cap room – and even more flexibility remaining – the Jets can easily afford to keep Anderson in the fold at a ~$3MM rate.

In addition to Anderson, the Jets have also retained all nine of their exclusive-rights free agents:

Jets Notes: Anderson, McCarthy, Shell

December 20th, 2018 at 6:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Robby Anderson can be kept away from unrestricted free agency for one more year. The Jets wide receiver will be a restricted free agent next spring, and although he wants an extension, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News notes the expectation is the Jets apply a second-round tender to the talented wideout. That would cost them approximately $3.12MM. Due to Anderson’s issues off the field, the Jets will continue to monitor him as a long-term investment, per Mehta. An RFA tender allows them to do so at a relatively cheap rate.

Additionally, Mehta reports the Eagles‘ deadline offer for Anderson was a fourth-round pick. The Jets declined, and the Eagles surrendered a third-rounder for Golden Tate. Although the Jets are more solidified at quarterback than they have been in many years, this season has not gone as well for Anderson as the Josh McCown year did. After a 941-receiving-yard, seven-touchdown 2017, Anderson is at 541 yards and five scores entering Week 16.

Here is the latest out of Jets headquarters:

  • Anderson figures to be part of the Jets’ skill-position corps in 2019, but there figure to be some changes. Sam Darnold does not appear to have a cornerstone weapon among this contingent yet, and Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv writes the Jets need to use some of their $100MM-plus in projected cap space to bring in better weapons for their young passer. Beyond Le’Veon Bell, whose path may well lead to the Big Apple, Mark Ingram and Tevin Coleman are big-name running backs who are months from free agency. The wideout situation figures to involve Tate, though he will be 31 next season, along with John Brown, Tyrell Williams, Randall Cobb and Jamison Crowder. The Jets also have Jermaine Kearse and Quincy Enunwa playing on expiring deals.
  • As for who will be coaching this to-be-determined Darnold supporting cast, Mike McCarthy should be atop Gang Green’s target list, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. McCarthy’s experience as a head coach and background with offense should endear the Jets to the longtime Packers coach. The Jets have opted for defensive-minded coaches for decades — Bill Parcells, Al Groh, Herm Edwards, Eric Mangini, Rex Ryan and Todd Bowles, dating back to 1997 — and are probably leaning toward changing course.
  • Davis Webb dressed for his first game as a Jet on Saturday against the Texans. He remains behind Darnold and McCown on the depth chart, but due to injuries elsewhere, the Jets opted to make Webb part of their 46-man game-day contingent as a reward for solid practice play, Bowles said (via Mehta, on Twitter). With McCown winding down his age-39 season, Webb could possibly be a candidate to be Darnold’s backup in 2019.
  • Brandon Shell will head to IR because of a knee injury, but the Jets expect their right tackle starter to return by OTAs, Matt Stypulkoski of NJ.com notes. Shell’s precise injury is not known, but Stypulkoski adds he did not tear an ACL or MCL. A full-time New York starter for the past two seasons, Shell is under contract through 2019.

Jets Promote QB Davis Webb

November 10th, 2018 at 12:53pm CST by Ben Levine

With Sam Darnold doubtful for tomorrow’s contest against the Bills, the Jets are added a reinforcement. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that New York is planning on promoting quarterback Davis Webb from the practice squad.

The Jets followed through with the move. Webb is back on a New York active roster. Gang Green placed tight end Neal Sterling on IR to make room for Webb, per the New York Post’s Brian Costello (on Twitter).

Darnold is currently dealing with a foot sprain that was already expected to sideline him for this weekend’s game. The Jets have a Week 11 bye, but there isn’t a lot of optimism that the rookie quarterback will be back in time for the team’s Week 12 matchup against the Patriots. In that case, Darnold could end up being sidelined until the beginning of December. Barring some unexpected signing, the Jets will surely roll with veteran Josh McCown as their starter until Darnold is healthy.

Webb certainly has the draft pedigree to earn some snaps, but he hasn’t been able to put it together as a professional. The 2017 third-rounder didn’t end up seeing the field as a rookie for the Giants, although there were rumblings that he was going to eventually replace Eli Manning. However, plans changed when the Giants fired both head coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese.

While Webb seemed to have the support of interim coach Steve Spagnuolo, he was seemingly on the outside looking in when the team hired Pat Shurmur. The Giants ended up waiving Webb at the end of the preseason, and he subsequently caught on with the Jets practice squad.

AFC Notes: Colts, Luck, Ravens, Jackson, Jets, Webb

September 5th, 2018 at 9:48am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

During Andrew Luck’s extended time away from the game, both he and the Colts organization always publicly projected confidence that he would return to the field at 100 percent sooner rather than later. But privately, Luck doubted himself and feared he would never play football again he revealed in a recent interview with Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star.

It’s a great piece that is well worth a read, with plenty of previously untold insights into Luck’s time away from football, his recovery, and his mental state. The Colts signal caller is healthy for now, ready to lead his team against the Bengals in Week 1. It’s been a long road, but Luck is finally back. It’ll be a treat for all fans of the NFL to get to start seeing Luck on Sundays again.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • Lamar Jackson showed the potential to be a dynamic playmaker during the preseason, but he’s a long way from starting. Robert Griffin III will open the season as Joe Flacco’s backup, with Jackson starting the year as the number three according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Ravens coach John Harbaugh had previously said he planned on using Jackson and Flacco on the field together, so it’s unclear if the Ravens will keep three quarterbacks active on game days.
  • Speaking of the Colts, offensive linemen “Mark Glowinski and Denzelle Good both took paycuts over cutdown weekend” reports Tom Pelissero of NFL Netowrk (Twitter link). The moves created $1.7MM in cap space for the Colts, and the players can make up the money they lost through incentives Pelissero notes.
  • After Davis Webb was stunningly released by the Giants at final cuts, he signed with the Jets‘ practice squad. Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com detailed Webb’s reaction to his release, he was shocked and hurt, and the moments after. A number of teams made offers to Webb, and there’s a strong possibility Webb will be promoted to the Jets’ 53-man roster in the coming weeks if he does what’s asked of him a source told Dunleavy. It’s a good situation for both sides, and the Jets may have just found their long-term backup for Sam Darnold.

 

Davis Webb Signs To Jets Practice Squad

September 4th, 2018 at 9:34am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Davis Webb is staying in New York, as he will be signing to the Jets’ practice squad the team announced via Twitter.

Webb, a 2017 third round pick of the Giants, was surprisingly let go during roster cuts on Saturday. While he’ll only be on the Jets’ practice squad, he’ll make the full salary that he would’ve on the active 53-man roster according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). That type of arrangement is an increasingly popular one in the NFL, used to lure top free agents to teams’ practice squads.

Webb was a high draft pick, but had no ties to the current Giants front office or coaching staff, so the decision was made to let him go. The Jets are a good landing spot for Webb, and the signing makes sense for both sides. After the Teddy Bridgewater trade, the Jets were left with only 39-year-old Josh McCown behind new starter Sam Darnold.

McCown won’t be with the team longterm, and Webb could definitely develop into the backup of the future to Darnold. It’s a low-risk move for the Jets, and Webb surely had a host of practice squad opportunities to choose from. Once hailed as a possible successor to Eli Manning, the 87th pick of last year’s draft ended his Giants career without ever attempting a regular season pass.

To make room on the practice squad, the Jets released former Wake Forest quarterback John Wolford.

Sunday NFL Transactions: NFC East

September 2nd, 2018 at 3:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC East teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, and Redskins are noted below.

Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s NFC East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Dallas Cowboys

Claimed:

Cut:

Practice squad:

New York Giants

Claimed:

Cut:

Practice squad:

Philadelphia Eagles

Claimed:

Cut:

Practice squad:

Washington Redskins

Practice squad:

Giants Waive Davis Webb

September 2nd, 2018 at 12:44pm CST by Rory Parks

In a surprising move, the Giants have waived QB Davis Webb, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). We learned earlier today that the Giants were open to trading either Webb or rookie signal-caller Kyle Lauletta, but it did not seem likely that either player would be waived. Instead, if the Giants could not find any trade partners, it appeared more plausible that the team would part ways with 30-year-old Alex Tanney.

But GM Dave Gettleman decided to cut ties with Webb, a 2017 third-round choice who played fairly well throughout the preseason and who at one point appeared to have a big lead over Lauletta for the backup QB job. Of course, Webb was selected by the Giants’ prior regime, so Gettleman & Co. did not have any attachment to him.

Raanan adds in a separate tweet that New York did discuss trading Webb to the Raiders before Oakland acquired A.J. McCarron to be its backup signal-caller. We will have to wait and see what the future holds for Webb, though he is not likely to be without work for long given his draft pedigree and the league-wide need for competent QBs.

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