Quarterback/Receiver/Returner/Blazer Joe Webb Signs with the Carolina Panthers

Per Ian Rapaport, the Carolina Panthers have signed Joe Webb, who has played as a quarterback, receiver, kick returner and general multiweapon for the Vikings, with varying degrees of success, though most of them as failures.

He is reportedly joining the receiver-starved Panthers as a quarterback. The Panthers have recently signed Jerricho Cotchery and Tiquan Underwood to supplement their receiver corps otherwise featuring Tavarres King and Marvin McNutt.

This means Webb will compete with Derek Anderson and Matt Blanchard for a backup spot behind Cam Newton. While it is perhaps accurate to say that Newton and Webb share more similar skill sets than Newton and Anderson/Blanchard, don’t expect them to necessarily use Webb in the same way that they use Newton should Cam, for whatever reason, be unable to play.

Cam Newton, at 6’6″ and 250 pounds, outweighs a fair number of linebackers in the league and supplements his quarterback play with “power” running back runs, with a fair degree of agility. Webb “supplemented” his quarterback “play” with scatback-style scrambles with a lot of movement to the sidelines, which makes sense as he’s three inches shorter but 30 pounds lighter.

Both share a big arm and have some struggles with rhythm passing, but there’s a reason that Newton is a premier young quarterback and Webb is struggling to find his position. Vikings fans will be happy to see him go, but it’s difficult to say he’s been anything but a good sport and team player.

Perhaps a better set of quarterbacks coaches can turn Webb into a real quarterback, as his athletic ability is in the top one percent of even the elite players of the NFL. Then again:

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