Giants cut Davis Webb, who helped show potential of their new offense
Giants quarterback Davis Webb throws a pass against the Jets during the fourth quarter of a preseason game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sunday. Credit: Brad Penner
Davis Webb served his purpose. He served it well.
Webb’s summer with the Giants above all else illustrated the capabilities for the team’s new offensive system. It wasn’t enough to give him a spot on the initial 53-man roster — he was cut on Tuesday, one of the 20 roster moves made to comply with NFL limits — but it did provide a glimpse of what Daniel Jones might soon be able to accomplish.
Webb, playing mostly with third- and fourth-stringers in practices and three preseason games, many of whom were pared off the roster along with him this week, still managed to complete 60 of 81 passes for 457 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. It was largely because of his mastery of the system that the Giants led the NFL in total offense (382.7 yards per game) and passing yards (272.7) during the preseason.
While Webb’s skills have certainly improved since his last stint with the Giants as a third-round pick who lasted one season with the team, his stellar statistical performance this preseason was primarily the result of a quarterback having comfort in the system Brian Daboll has imported from Buffalo. Webb spent the two previous seasons with Daboll learning the playbook that is now the basis for the Giants’ offense.
“This offense is a lot of fun to play in,” Webb said after Sunday’s preseason game against the Jets. “It takes a lot of reps but once you get it and get it rolling you can have a lot of fun with it.
“I think [Jones] is milliseconds close to that.”
Jones clearly brings more skill to the position than Webb, so as his knowledge of the offense continues to grow so too should his productivity. Jones has only been immersed in the playbook since April. The more time he spends with it, working through the kinks of it on the field, finding the parts he likes and discarding the parts he does not, the better and better he should become.
Jones said Webb was a key part in his own relationship with the offense this summer.
“He’s got a great understanding of the system and I think you can see that on the field,” Jones said on Tuesday. “You see his comfort in the system, how well he knows it. I think that was a big part of all of us picking it up and learning it. He’s been huge for that process.”
Webb was also able to bring depth to the two-dimensional plays that are printed on the pages of the playbook.
“He can look back on certain plays or situations they’ve had in the past and make it relevant to what we are doing now,” Jones said. “Those references are helpful. The ways he has found to learn certain things, remember certain things, I think he’s been extremely valuable for all of us.”
Besides Webb the Giants also cut WR C.J. Board, G Jamil Douglas, T Will Holden, DE Jalyn Holmes, WR Alex Bachman, S Nate Meadors, RB Jashaun Corbin, WR Jaylon Moore, TE Austin Allen, OL Garrett McGhin, OL Roy Mbaeteka, DL David Moa, DL Ryan Anderson, LB Quincy Roche, CB Khalil Dorsey, CB Darren Evans, CB Zyon Gilbert, CB Harrison Hand, and S Trenton Thompson.
Webb will likely have the opportunity to return to the Giants in some capacity, either as a practice squad player or an addition to the active roster once it becomes more settled in the coming week. “We’ll see how that all unfolds,” Daboll said of the decision to keep just two quarterbacks — Jones and Tyrod Taylor — on the initial 53.
Coming back will give Webb a front-row seat to watch Jones gain confidence in the offense as this season begins and moves along.
“Daniel has made a tremendous amount of jumps,” Webb said. “If you have watched the last couple weeks of practice it has gotten better and better every day. I’m excited to watch him play.”
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
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