Davis Webb a Fit for the Arizona Cardinals
By Jeremy Meek
As the Arizona Cardinals search for the quarterback of the future, Davis Webb will be on their radar
The NFL is a quarterback driven league. Aside from a few exceptions, Super Bowl winners almost always have elite passers. The final four teams in this year’s playoffs showcased 3 sure-fire Hall of Famers, and a fourth, Matt Ryan, who will likely be league MVP. The Arizona Cardinals need to find that guy if they want to compete after Carson Palmer retires.
The Cardinals have had some great quarterbacks in recent years, and have gone deep into the playoffs with them. Kurt Warner got them to a Super Bowl, while the Palmer-led team made the NFC Championship game in 2015. However, as Palmer enters what is likely his finals season, the position is a major question mark going forward.
The 2017 NFL Draft could see Arizona go after a guy to take over in 2018. Cal quarterback Davis Webb could be the player they target as the future at the position. We recently mentioned Webb as a potential target for the Cardinals, but today, we take a closer look.
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Webb checks the boxes that the Cardinals look for in their quarterbacks. He’s a big guy (6’4″, 229 lbs at Senior Bowl) and has a big arm to match. His ability to get the ball down the field will certainly catch the eyes of the Cardinals, who value that more than other teams. He throws with velocity, and has the ability to fit the ball into tight windows, something a successful NFL passer has to be able to do.
Though his accuracy can be affected by pressure, both real and perceived, Webb does mostly get the ball where it’s supposed to be. His delivery is quick enough, and his technique, while not flawless, is good enough to work with. Also a factor is Palmer’s commitment to 2017. This would allow Webb to sit for a season, to learn the nuances of the game.
Where Webb struggles, and which will hurt him the most, is his tendency to panic and get loose with his footwork. This results in a lot of passes that flutter, or hang in the air too long. Interceptions will be the result of that in the NFL. It won’t matter much to the Cardinals, but he’s not really a mobile quarterback either.
Webb’s size and arm will drive his value up as the draft approaches, and it’s probable that he’ll go on day two at the latest. The Cardinals might have to use their pick in the second round to secure him.
Next: Ten Possible Senior Bowl Targets for the Cardinals
It’s a certainty that the Cardinals will be looking to address the quarterback position soon. They could opt for free agency, as they did with Palmer and Warner, but they would be better served over the long-term by looking to the draft, either this year, or next year at the latest. If they want to grab their guy this year, then Davis Webb could be the target.