Getty New York Giants bring back Ryan Anderson.
The New York Giants have once again added to their backfield, claiming running back Ryquell Armstead off of waivers. To free up space for the former Jacksonville Jaguar on the roster, the team has opted to pluck a player from their quarterback room.
The team has announced that they have terminated the contract of quarterback Joe Webb. Originally brought aboard in early December of last year as an insurance policy for the then-hobbled Daniel Jones, the ever-versatile Webb appeared in two of New York’s final three games in 2020, carving out a sizeable special teams role down the stretch. He logged a total of 13 special teams snaps with the team over that span, including playing 38% of the special teams snaps in the Giants’ Week 16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Webb was released prior to Week 17 to free up roster space for former starting linebacker Kyler Fackrell, who was returning from injured reserve. However, his stint away from East Rutherford didn’t last very long, as the team signed him to a reserve/futures deal in January. The 11-year veteran has appeared in 104 games over his NFL career (four starts at quarterback), completing 90-of-159 passes for 888 yards and three touchdown passes. The UAB product has also added 326 yards rushing and four touchdowns on the ground, to go along with 74 yards receiving on 10 receptions, while also notching 1,369 snaps on special teams.
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Giants’ ‘Shaky’ Quarterback Situation
With Webb receiving the boot, the Giants currently roster just two signal-callers behind starter Daniel Jones; veteran free-agent signing Mike Glennon and Clayton Thorson, a former fifth-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles with no NFL game experience.
While the team is hopeful that Jones will take a major step forward in what will be his third professional season, the team’s lack of certainty at the position has USA Today Sports’ Mike Jones worried. In his recent column, Jones categorized all 32 quarterback situations around the league into six categories — elite, very good, solid, ascending, unproven and shaky.
The columnist not only placed the G-Men in the shaky category but ranked them ahead of only one team — the woeful Houston Texans, who have the Deshaun Watson dilemma hanging over their heads.
Daniel Jones has experienced two rocky NFL seasons and has yet to look anything like a player deserving of going sixth overall in 2019. A healthy Saquon Barkley could help lighten his load, but more than anything Jones, who has thrown 22 interceptions and fumbled 29 times (losing 17 of them) has to learn to take care of the ball.
PFF Ranks Jones Among NFL’s Projected Starting QBs
Pro Football Focus clearly has a tad more optimism when it comes to Jones. In their recently released rankings of all 32 projected starting quarterbacks heading into the 2021 campaign, the former Duke Blue Devil checks in at No. 20.
This is a big year for Daniel Jones to establish himself as a franchise quarterback, and the Giants are doing everything in their power to surround him with help. Last year, the team had the lowest pass-blocking grade in the league and the eighth-worst receiving grade, but new additions from free agency and the draft should help.
This is the first offseason Jones will be in the same offense, which will offer more familiarity going into his third season. Jones must eliminate the boneheaded decisions and turnover-worthy plays that hold the team back. With his toughness and ability to make plays with his legs, Jones can make a big leap forward.
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