The Minnesota Vikings went from five quarterbacks to four after moving Joe Webb to wide receiver. The move happened on Thursday and, at the very least, gives Webb a better shot at seeing the field.
"Coach brought me in the office and talked to me about the different plans they had and stuff," Webb told the Star-Tribune. "I haven't played [receiver] since my rookie minicamp, but I think I can adjust to it pretty good. You just have to put in a lot of work. Coach Stew [wide receivers coach George Stewart] will do a lot of that with me, so we'll see what happens."
Webb played in 17 games in his three seasons at quarterback. He threw for just 853 yards, 3 touchdowns and 5 interceptions during that time. He last played for an injured Christian Ponder in a 24-10 Wild Card loss to the Green Bay Packers, the only time he saw the field last season.
The switch might actually benefit Webb. Quarterback Matt Cassel's arrival would likely have pushed Webb further down the depth chart, and with Percy Harvin's departure in March, Webb has the opportunity to compete for playing time.
His lack of experience at receiver in the NFL won't necessarily relegate him to the bench either. While the Vikings are stacked at the position with 12 receivers, only three have actual NFL playing experience.
Webb, selected in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL draft, played as a quarterback and receiver at Alabama-Birmingham, according to Yahoo! Sports. His athleticism made him more enticing to teams than his skill at a specific position.
If he is able to make the transition to receiver, his speed (a 4.4 at the combine) will give Ponder another weapon on offense. Webb is optimistic about the switch and believes his experience at quarterback gives him an advantage over his competition.
"I always relate things that I see on the field to quarterbacks - to Christian [Ponder], to Matt Cassel, to [McLeod] Bethel-Thompson, I can tell those guys what I see out there. That will help them out a lot, my quarterback experience," he said. "Also, it will help the receivers out - for instance, if they see a safety rotating down, different coverages that teams prepare and things like that. I think it's going to be a big help."
