One day after the Giants told Shaun O’Hara and Rich Seubert that they will be cut on Friday, the team went about replacing them and locating a starting center, agreeing to terms with free agent David Baas, who spent the first six years of his NFL career with the 49ers.
Baas, a natural guard, was a 2005 second-round draft pick out of Michigan. He’s played in 92 games, starting 54, including all 32 the past two years. The vast majority of his experience has come at guard but he took a turn at center last season after Eric Heitman went down with a serious neck injury. The 6-4, 330-pound Baas received good reviews for his work at center, which surely caught the attention of the Giants.
Instantly, Baas, 29, becomes the favorite to move in as the starting center. Even with the loss of Seubert, the Giants have some flexibility at guard. They re-signed Kevin Boothe, who is a natural guard, and could swing him into Seubert’s starting left guard spot. Then there is the versatile David Diehl, the starting left tackle who is always one move away from moving back inside to guard, where he began his Giants career. If Diehl moves, Will Beatty would inherit the left tackle spot.
The addition of Baas could solve the center situation; the Giants no doubt view him as a bigger, younger and — most importantly — healthier option than O’Hara, who played in six games last season because of ankle and foot injuries.