Hartman: Webb shifts from QB to full-time receiver for Vikings

Those who thought Joe Webb had no future as a quarterback should be happy, because the former Alabama-Birmingham standout has become a full-time wide receiver for the Vikings.

Coach Leslie Frazier said the decision to shift Webb to receiver was made after the draft, when the team selected receiver Cordarrelle Patterson in the first round and also because the Vikings had signed free agent quarterback Matt Cassel.

"We had been talking about it for a while, and we made the decision that this was the way to go after we had our draft," Frazier said.

Webb said he was told of the decision on the first day of the teams workouts.

"When I came back … Coach brought me in the office and talked to me about the different plans they had and stuff."

Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave said Webb has done a good job catching the ball, and there's a belief that because of his speed the coaches figure they can use Webb as a member of special teams and in other ways on offense.

Webb was asked how different will it be moving from quarterback to wide receiver.

Playing receiver is nothing new for Webb, because he played his entire sophomore season in college at the position.

"I was kind of doing both quarterback and receiver, but I was doing more receiver," he said. "I did that the whole year, and I got some plays here and there for my junior and senior year, but basically my sophomore year."

But Webb did say that it is going to be a big change.

"You have a whole different world at quarterback, but I think that's going to help me out there at receiver, having been at quarterback and knowing the coverage and how DBs run their plays," he said.

"I think that's going to be a big advantage for me. 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.

Webb's speed — he ran a 40 yard-dash in the low 4.4s coming out of college — has proved to be a big advantage when he scrambled as a quarterback and should be an advantage as a receiver.

Webb said he is comfortable at his new position.

"I'm doing good," he said. "I'm doing real good. I still have a long ways to go, but I'm getting better every day and that's all you can do.

"I just take it one step at a time, one day at a time, one play at a time, and hopefully it can turn out as a success."

Webb said the move to wideout was fine with him, and hopefully he can help the team in other ways.

"I'm OK with whatever is best for the team. I'm a team player. Whatever we have to do for us to get back into the playoffs and continue to win ballgames, I'm all for it."

Webb is a free agent after this season, but he wants to succeed as a wide receiver and remain with the Vikings.

"I love Minnesota," he said. "They've welcomed me like a son to a father, and it's a great city. I love playing for the fans, and I think it's a great fan base here, great atmosphere, great place to play."

And what will he remember about his last game at quarterback against the Packers in the playoff loss?

"Green Bay is a great team, a great team and a tough environment," he said. "That's a game that I look back on, learn from my mistakes, and keep moving.''

In his sophomore season at Alabama-Birmingham, Webb caught 30 passes for 459 yards and three touchdowns. He was primarily used at wide receiver that year but also spent time at quarterback. He caught two more passes for 12 yards, including a touchdown reception, in his senior season at UAB.

For the Vikings Webb has caught only one pass, a 9-yard reception in 2011. He was targeted five times that year as a wideout.

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Sid Hartman can be heard weekdays on 830-AM at 6:40, 7:40 and 8:40 a.m. and on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. shartman@startribune.com