Getty Jon Feliciano #76 of the Buffalo Bills, react after defeating the Green Bay Packers 19-0 at Highmark Stadium on August 28, 2021.
The Buffalo Bills continued to clear up cap space for the 2022 NFL season by releasing guard Jon Feliciano on Wednesday, March 9. News 4 Buffalo reporter Matt Parrino shed some light on what led up to Feliciano getting cut.
“Source: #Bills releasing veteran guard Jon Feliciano. I’m told the team approached him hoping he’d be willing to take a pay cut,” Parrino tweeted. “He wasn’t and now he’ll hit the open market, something he avoided last year by re-signing right before free agency.”
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Shortly afterward, however, The Buffalo News reporter Jay Skurski refuted Parrino’s report. Skurski tweeted, “A league source tells @TBNSports the Buffalo #Bills have released G Jon Feliciano. He was not asked to take a pay cut.”
Parrino later clarified his initial report tweet by adding, “Source says Bills told Feliciano’s camp that they couldn’t keep him at his current number. According to Bills GM Brandon Beane, Feliciano was not offered to take a pay cut or to restructure his contract.”
Feliciano initially signed with the Bills in 2019 and in March 2021, he signed a three-year $17 million extension. By releasing the former fourth-round pick from the 2015 NFL Draft, the Bills will save a total of $3.6 million, per SB Nation.
Amid the conflicting reports of how the release went down, the 30-year-old offensive lineman confirmed that he will no longer be playing for the Bills on Twitter. It’s been great Buff ✌🏽,” Feliciano tweeted.
It’s been great Buff ✌🏽
Feliciano said in another tweet, “Love y’all to #billsmafia a more formal goodbye is otw,” Feliciano tweeted.
Feliciano Spent 3 Seasons With the Bills, 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.
Before joining the Bills, Feliciano spent the first four seasons of his NFL career playing for the Raiders. As for where he will 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.”
By Cutting Feliciano, the Bills are Now Under the Salary Cap
The Bills started the week being approximately $6.6 million over the salary cap. On Tuesday, March 8, Buffalo announced the release of veteran linebacker A.J. Klein. By cutting Klein, the Bills cleared up $5.1 million for the 2022 NFL season, and now with Feliciano gone – they are under the $213.844 million mark.
Because there are still numerous free agents on the Bills roster, it’s likely more players are cut before free agency starts. 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).
While appearing on WGR 550 on Tuesday morning, the Bills general manager Brandon Beane found some humor about the team’s salary cap restrictions.
“I need a loan,” Beane joked. “We’re in the red right now. I wish I had more room but that’s part of where we’re at… So we’ve got some moves that we’ve got to get done between now and next week. We have some ideas and we’ve had some conversations. We’ll get there in time and you have to.”
According to Over The Cap, the Bills can also create approximately $37.5 million in cap space through simple contract restructures alone.
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