Getty Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (L) may be trying to recruit guard Jon Feliciano (R) after he was released by the Buffalo Bills.
The Buffalo Bills officially released guard Jon Feliciano on Wednesday, March 9, and as promised, the offensive lineman took to Instagram the following day to write a lengthy goodbye to the team and fanbase.
The 30-year-old veteran, who’s played for the Bills since 2019, captioned a series of photos on Thursday, “Emotions are all over the place. Excited for the next step also sad that I’m leaving a city that embraced me for the jump. Buffalo thank you for the last 3 years #billsmafia we get each other. We crazy ppl that love playing ball the right way.”
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“To my teammates, y’all know what it is. I got y’all’s back,” Felicano continued. “To @buffalobills thank you for giving me a place where I can grow as a man and as a football player. @wgreenberg @jmicca55 @j.oszvart @kelseyharkins and all the other staff that went above and beyond to keep me going through the years appreciate you guys.”
While teammates Dion Dawkins, Zack Moss, Mitch Morse, Dawson Knox, and Stefon Diggs, sent messages of love and support on Feliciano’s Instagram post, one particular comment from Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr stood out.
Feliciano was initially selected by the Raiders in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, and he spent the four years of his professional career being teammates with Carr. And now, it seems Carr wants him back in Las Vegas.
“You know what to do,” Carr wrote, a cryptic comment which caused numerous fans to react on Instagram. “@derekcarrqb bring him home Derek!” on person wrote, while a Bills fan commented, “@derekcarrqb you still won’t be able to beat us bum.”
Feliciano Could Follow Daboll to the Giants
During his three-season tenure with the Bills, Feliciano played right guard, left guard, and center. Over the past two years, however, injuries limited Feliciano and he started a total of just 15 games. Due to a calf injury, Feliciano appeared in just six games during the 2021 NFL season.
As for where he’ll end up next, ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg predicts he’ll follow ex-Bills offensive coordinator turned Giants head coach Brian Daboll to New York.
“The Giants would appear to be a natural landing spot to keep an eye on with OL coach Bobby Johnson there,” Getzenberg tweeted. “Bills will also save $4.9M against next year’s cap with the move.”
WGR 550’s Sal Capaccio also sees the Giants as a natural fit for Feliciano. Capaccio tweeted, “Wouldn’t be surprised if Giants are suitors for Jon Feliciano after his release from the Bills, given both his knowledge of Brian Daboll’s system and relationship with OL coach Bobby Johnson. Not to mention GM Joe Schoen was Bills Ast GM for both contracts he signed in Buffalo.”
The Bills Cleared Up $3.6 in Cap Space By Releasing Feliciano
By releasing Feliciano, the Bills will save a total of $3.6 million, per SB Nation.
On Tuesday, March 8, Buffalo announced the release of veteran linebacker A.J. Klein, which cleared up $5.1 million for the 2022 NFL season. With both players gone, Buffalo is now under the $213.844 million mark.
However, being just under the salary cap isn’t enough when there are still numerous pending free agents on the team to lock down, therefore, more players will likely get cut soon. The easiest way to create more space would be to release Cole Beasley ($6.1 million), linebacker Tyler Matakevich ($2.5 million), Mitch Morse ($7.5 million), and/or guard Daryl Williams ($5.3 million).
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