The free-agent guard will compete for a starting gig along a new-look offensive line
There’s just no polite way to put it: the Buffalo Bills were atrocious along the offensive line last season. The only thing they did consistently was struggle. They struggled to protect their quarterbacks, they struggled to open up holes for their running backs, and they struggled to find any sort of consistency in the wake of major changes up front.
During the 2019 offseason, Buffalo’s decision makers have overhauled the group, bringing in multiple free agents and draft choices to upgrade the front line. In today’s installment of “90 players in 90 days,” we look at one of those free agents, a versatile road-grader who could serve multiple uses for the Bills this year.
Name: Jon Feliciano
Number: 76
Position: G
Height/Weight: 6’4” 325 lbs.
Age: 27 (28 on 2/10/20)
Experience/Draft: 5; selected in the fourth round (128 overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders
College: Miami (FL)
Acquired: Signed as unrestricted free agent with Bills on 3/13/19
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Feliciano signed a two-year contract in March worth a total of $7.25 million. Of that contract, $3.9 million is guaranteed. Feliciano’s cap hit for 2019 is $3,453,125.
2018 Recap: Feliciano set a career-high in starts during his fourth year with the Raiders, as he made four during the season. He appeared in 13 games overall, bringing his career total to 48 games in four seasons. He committed three penalties for a total of 25 yards last year.
Positional outlook: Feliciano finds himself among Buffalo’s highest-paid offensive linemen in terms of salary-cap hit this season, which should indicate that the team thinks highly of him. He makes just less than newly-signed interior lineman Spencer Long, and he makes more than fellow guards Ike Boettger, Quinton Spain, Vladimir Ducasse, and Wyatt Teller. Feliciano has also been used at center during OTAs in place of the injured Mitch Morse. Russell Bodine is the team’s other center. Jeremiah Sirles, primarily a tackle, is listed as a tackle/guard on the team website, so Feliciano will have him to fend off for a roster spot, as well.
2019 Offseason: As mentioned above, Feliciano has been working as a center with the first team during offseason workouts in place of Morse (and Russell Bodine). While Morse returned in a limited capacity during this week’s set of workouts, he still is a non-contact participant. Feliciano also saw some time at left guard next to Sirles this week.
2019 Season outlook: Feliciano will be on the Bills’ 53-man roster barring something like an injury or a terrible showing in camp and the preseason. His two-year deal is essentially a one-year contract with a $750,000 buyout if the team doesn’t like his play this year (if the Bills cut him next season, Feliciano will count $750,000 against the cap rather than the $3,750,000 he’ll be owed if he’s on the 2020 roster). With Quinton Spain recovering from thumb surgery, the real competition for Feliciano has yet to begin, but early returns suggest that he has a leg up on his competition. Some combination of Spain, Feliciano, and Long should be Buffalo’s guards come September, but the developments along the offensive line will be a major story to watch this summer.
from Buffalo Rumblings - All Posts http://bit.ly/2My0UoP
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