Giants admit mistake by cutting Davis Webb

Quite a few Giants fans believed Davis Webb was the heir apparent to Eli Manning. The team’s decision to cut him makes it clear they didn’t agree.

When the Giants elected to pass on selecting a quarterback at the top of the 2018 draft most fans assumed it was a vote of confidence for Davis Webb. Now it’s very obvious the Giants’ quarterback situation is more uncertain than ever before. Webb has been cut by the team which leaves Kyle Lauletta as the backup heading into the regular season.

This is one of the more surprising cuts in the NFL this year. Webb was a third round pick by New York in last year’s draft. Cutting bait on a player selected that high is pretty unusual. Cutting a quarterback picked in that range so soon is almost unheard of.

Giants GM Dave Gettleman has never been afraid to go against the grain. The team’s decision to take Saquon Barkley instead of a highly rated quarterback in April due tons of criticism. That decision only looks worse after parting ways with Webb. There aren’t many people around the NFL who believe Lauletta has what it takes to ultimately take over for Manning.

That means the Giants are going to be in the market for a new starting quarterback sooner, rather than later. Manning might hold on for a few more seasons, but expecting him to continue to lead the offense after this season is a major gamble.

Keeping Webb on the roster would have at least kept up the illusion that the Giants weren’t desperate for a new signal caller. Now everyone in the NFL knows they need to find a young talent at the most important position on the field.

The decision likely came as a shock to Webb. He hadn’t been great during the preseason, but there were certainly stretches of time where he looked like a viable NFL starter. No one should expect him to stay unemployed for long. Quite a few other teams should give Webb a long look off the waiver wire.

The choice to cut Webb is a very curious move for the Giants. Gettleman needs to have another move up his sleeve if he isn’t going to head into the regular season with serious questions at the quarterback position.