The #49ers are adding cornerback B.W. Webb to their roster after injuries left their numbers thin at CB.
The 49ers’ depth at cornerback was already shallow going into camp, and now injuries have left the club scraping the bottom of its roster for practice reps. To combat that issue, they’re signing veteran cornerback BW Webb according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
Webb was a fourth-round pick of the Cowboys in 2013 out of William & Mary. He’s played in six NFL seasons since then all with different teams. In those six years, Webb racked up 80 games and 35 starts. His most notable starting experience came with the Giants in 2018 when he started 12 games, and the Bengals in 2019 when he posted 13 starts.
While Webb has appeared in games with six teams, he’s been with nine. He didn’t play in 2017 after having cups of coffee with the Bears and Browns. He also missed all of last year after the Cardinals released him at the end of August.
Webb in 80 games has four interceptions, 27 pass breakups and a forced fumble. He also has significant special teams experience.
He is primarily a slot cornerback and, with the addition of veteran Dre Kirkpatrick, second-year pro Byron Murphy will move back into that spot.
Thus far in Webb’s career, he has never been on a team longer than one season. The move, though not yet announced by the team, brings the roster down to 79 players. It is not yet known whether they will sign someone in his place, as the Cardinals and rest of the NFL must cut down their 53-man rosters by the end of next week.
The Arizona Cardinals signed free agents Ken Crawley and B.W. Webb, who started much of the 2016 season for the New Orleans Saints.
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Two former members of the New Orleans Saints ended up together again, when the Arizona Cardinals announced the signings of cornerbacks Ken Crawley and B.W. Webb. The moves followed a season-ending injury to starting cornerback Robert Alford, and preceded another veteran pickup in Dre Kirkpatrick. For their part, the Saints recently worked out two undrafted free agent cornerbacks, though neither has been signed just yet.
Webb appeared in 14 games for the Saints back in 2016, logging 8 starts and 587 combined defensive snaps. He’s continued to make a journey around the NFL since then, spending the 2018 season with the New York Giants and playing for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2019 (where he and Kirkpatrick were teammates).
As for Crawley: 2016 was his rookie season, and he initially played well in 15 games (starting 5 of them, totaling 502 snaps on defense). But his play trailed off with more exposure to NFL offenses, and he was released in 2019 after appearing in just one game. He played four games with the Miami Dolphins but wasn’t kept around over the summer, and now he has a chance to catch on with Arizona.
It’ll be interesting to see whether Webb and Crawley can carve out a role with the Cardinals. It also says a lot that players who once started frequently for the Saints have been pushed off the depth chart as the team upgraded over the years. It’s just another reminder that the Saints invested a lot of resources into overhauling their roster, and now they’re reaping the benefits.
The Cardinals also announced the signing of two veteran cornerbacks, both of whom were expected to sign.
The officially signed B.W. Webb and Ken Crawley.
Webb has been in the NFL since 2013 and has spent time on eight NFL rosters. Most recently, he played 15 games, starting 12 games, for the Cincinnati Bengals. He had 37 tackles, an interception and seven pass breakups.
He is 5-11 and 188 pounds, and has four career interceptions and 27 career pass breakups.
He has also been a starter for the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints, starting 33 games over the last four seasons.
He is more effective when playing from the slot.
Crawley is listed at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds. He entered the league as an undrafted rookie 2016 with the New Orleans Saints, where he played through part of 2019. He played four games for the Miami Dolphins last season as well. Most recently, he was with the Las Vegas Raiders. He signed with them in January and was recently released after getting cleared from the COVID-19 reserve.
He has played in 43 games and starter 25 times. He has one career interception, 31 career pass breakups and 131 career tackles.
His best season was in 2017 when he started 13 games for the Saints, had one interception and broke up 17 passes.
Both get one-year contracts and will compete for a spot on the roster and potentially a starting spot.
It was reported that the Arizona Cardinals were expected to sign cornerback Ken Crawley. That has not yet happened, but it was pending COVID testing and a physical. Whether that happens or not, the Cardinals have added a veteran cornerback to the roster.
As reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, per Shah Sports Group, the Cardinals are adding B.W. Webb to the roster.
Former Giants’ and Bengals’ CB BW Webb is signing a one-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals, per @shahsportsgroup.
Webb has been in the NFL since 2013 and has spent time on eight NFL rosters. Most recently, he played 15 games, starting 12 games, for the Cincinnati Bengals. He had 37 tackles, an interception and seven pass breakups.
He is 5-11 and 188 pounds, and has four career interceptions and 27 career pass breakups.
He has also been a starter for the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints, starting 33 games over the last four seasons.
He is much more effective as a slot cornerback, so if he is signed, that could move Byron Murphy, originally slated to play nickel this season, to the outside full time.
Some veteran free agent cornerbacks are available, including some who have some experience with defensive coordinator Vance Joseph or a similar defense in their careers.
While they did not take a look at any of those players, they did bring in a veteran cornerback for a tryout.
According to SI.com’s Albert Breer, citing the NFL’s tryout list, the Cardinals brought in B.W. Webb.
Webb has been in the NFL since 2013 and has spent time on eight NFL rosters. Most recently, he played 15 games, starting 12 games, for the Cincinnati Bengals. He had 37 tackles, an interception and seven pass breakups.
He has also been a starter for the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints, starting 33 games over the last four seasons.
He is much more effective as a slot cornerback, so if he is signed, that could move Byron Murphy, originally slated to play nickel this season, to the outside full time.
Webb is 5-11 and 188 pounds, and has four career interceptions and 27 career pass breakups.
The Cincinnati Bengals continued a major overhaul of the cornerback position Wednesday, cutting B.W. Webb.
The report — from ESPN’s Josina Anderson — comes a day removed from the Bengals spending huge on free agents D.J. Reader and Trae Waynes.
Webb joined the Bengals last offseason on a three-year deal and was valued for his past familiarity with members of the new coaching staff. He appeared in 15 games, playing through a tough arm injury, but ultimately struggled while allowing four touchdowns on 72 targets.
This is the first of a few expected moves at cornerback after signing Waynes, a starting-caliber player on the boundary. The move frees up roughly $3.5 million in cap space, with Dre Kirkpatrick potentially the next out.
I'm told #Bengals CB BW Webb has been informed that he is being released, per source.
