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Bills Sign Key Offensive Lineman Ahead of Free Agency

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Getty The Buffalo Bills re-signed offensive lineman Jon Feliciano to a 3-year, $17 million extension.

The Buffalo Bills are bringing back their key pieces and general manager Brandon Beane continued his hot streak on Sunday when the Bills announced the signing of interior offensive lineman Jon Feliciano.

According to Syracuse.com Buffalo Bills beat reporter Matt Parrino, the Bills signed Feliciano to a 3-year, $17 million deal on Sunday, which means the Bills brought back their three main concerns this offseason with free agency set to begin next week.

On Thursday, the Bills signed Matt Milano to a 4-year, $44 million deal. Then, on Friday, the Bills announced the signing of offensive lineman Daryl Williams to a 3-year, $28.2 million extension.

All three players were key contributors to Buffalo’s AFC Championship run this past season and were seen as main targets for the Bills heading into free agency, but they weren’t guaranteed to return either.

At one point, Milano was predicted to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs by Pro Football Focus and due to the NFL salary cap being set at $182.5 million, numbers might have been tight to bring Williams back as well.

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Feliciano Was Confident He’d Return to Buffalo

Throughout this offseason, Feliciano seemed like he was confident that he would remain a Buffalo Bill. Shortly after Buffalo’s season ended, the veteran lineman made an appearance on Tim Graham and Friends with The Athletic’s Tim Graham and Matthew Fairburn.

The group touched on a bunch of different topics but during the episode, Feliciano made it seem like he was sure that he’d return to Buffalo for another run at a Super Bowl.

“Honestly, I don’t see myself going anywhere,” Feliciano told Graham and Fairburn during his appearance on their podcast. “I love Buffalo and I know how they feel about me. I’m going to stay optimistic and I don’t like change. Honestly, when I think of next season, I see myself as a Bill. We’ll see what happens, but I think both sides want the same thing so it’s just a matter of time, I think.”

Feliciano’s prediction came true on Sunday and it capped off a great week for Beane and the Bills.

This past season, Feliciano missed the first seven games of the year after suffering a pectoral injury in training camp. He returned from the injured reserve list before Buffalo’s Week 8 matchup against the New England Patriots and immediately showed his versatility as he switched from guard to center after center Mitch Morse went down with a concussion.

Feliciano also gave the Bills a certain edge across the offensive line and his teammates raved about his abilities when he returned from the injured reserve list.

“Just getting him back that just kind of energized the entire offensive line,” rookie running back Zack Moss told reporters via WIVB’s Heather Prusak. “It helps us as running backs and as a team overall so it was huge to get him back and go out there and watch him work.”

The Bills tallied a season-high 190 rushing yards during their 24-21 win over the Patriots.

Bills Could Go RB in NFL Draft

With Williams and Feliciano solidifying the offensive line alongside Morse, left tackle Dion Dawkins, and guard Cody Ford when he returns from a knee injury next season, the Bills could look elsewhere in the NFL Draft. They were predicted to target Oklahoma State offensive tackle Teven Jenkins with their first round pick.

So far during the offseason, both ESPN Draft Analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay both connected the Bills to primetime running backs with their No. 30 pick.

In his first mock draft of the offseason, Kiper Jr. predicted that the Bills would draft Alabama running back Najee Harris. McShay went a different direction though and predicted that the Bills would go after Clemson running back Travis Etienne.

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Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane continued his hot streak on Sunday when the Bills announced the signing of interior offensive lineman Jon Feliciano.