David Baas – © USA TODAY Sports Images
New York Giants Officially Waive David Baas, Designate Him Post-June 1 Cut: The New York Giants have waived/failed physical center David Baas. According to the team’s press release, both the neck and knee injuries that Baas suffered last year are still issues. Baas said he may still need surgery on the neck.
Baas was set to make $4.75 million in salary in 2014 and count $8.225 million against the team’s 2014 salary cap. According to press reports, even though Baas has actually been waived now, he has been designated a post-June 1 cut. That means $3.225 million of the $6.45 million in dead money will now account against the 2015 salary cap. In the short-term, in 2014, the Giants will now “save” $5 million against the cap.
“I haven’t lost that drive, I haven’t lost that desire to play football,” said Baas. “But sometimes other things are more important, and we’ve come to that crossroads. The thing that takes precedence right now is my health…It’s part of the business. It’s something that you prepare for and you just kind of move on from there.
“The Giants have been absolutely fantastic. They definitely have changed mine and my family’s lives forever. Once we get the health issues taken care of, we’ll go from there, and maybe there’s another chance (to play). Coming back to the Giants, who knows? They’ve just been really great and the medical staff has been excellent. I enjoyed playing for (Head Coach) Tom Coughlin. I wish Tom Coughlin could have been my head coach my entire career. That would have been nice. (Offensive Line Coach Pat) Flaherty and everybody, they’ve just been awesome. I can’t say enough good things about the Giants organization, the owners and everybody. It’s part of the game. I thank them and definitely am grateful for everything they’ve done.”
Baas originally signed with the Giants as an unrestricted free agent from the San Francisco 49ers in July 2011. But he has been plagued with one injury after the other during his tenure with the team. He missed five games in 2011 (burner, knee, headaches). After the 2012 season, he had surgeries to his ankle, knee, hip, elbow, and shoulder. In 2013, he missed 13 games with the knee and neck issues.
“It’s been a tough road with injuries,” Baas said. “I’ve been able to battle through them for most of the time.”
As for the possibility of neck surgery, Baas said, “I’m actually going to get another opinion next week. I’ve gotten a couple different people saying that they would recommend it if I ever wanted to play again. It’s definitely something I have to think through. That’s what we’re going to do. I don’t want to make a rash decision and pay for it later, so we’ll listen to the experts. The knee is a little bit disappointing, because it’s taking a little longer to recover. It’s something we’ll continue to try and get healthy.”
“I love the game of football,” said Baas. “My heart is still into it, but sometimes you’ve got to put your health and your future with your family and all that stuff first. We’re just gathering all the information right now and we’ll see. The Giants had to do what they had to do, and now I can focus on getting my knee better and I can also really gather all my information that I need for my neck and figure out what the best decision is.”
Baas also addressed the possibility that his career may be over.
“I got to play for two very good organizations, the 49ers and the Giants, and to get to win a Super Bowl with the Giants,” Baas said. “I met a lot of great people, established a lot of great relationships. I’ll forever be a Giant, and obviously when you come back and talk about the Super Bowl and all that stuff, it’s like you haven’t missed a beat. I’ll be looking forward to those moments. We’ll see what happens.”
New York Giants Confirm Re-Signing Stevie Brown and Josh Brown: The New York Giants have confirmed that they have re-signed unrestricted free agents safety Stevie Brown and place kicker Josh Brown.
New York Giants Waive LB Marcus Dowtin: The New York Giants also announced that they have waived linebacker Marcus Dowtin who spent time both on the Giants’ Practice Squad and 53-man roster last season.
