Giants sign former Bills OL Jon Feliciano, retain CB James Bradberry for now
Buffalo Bills guard Jon Feliciano (76) blocks a defender in an NFL game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021 in Orchard Park, N.Y. The Bills defeated the Dolphins 26-11. Credit: AP/Margaret Bowles
The pipeline from Western New York to the Giants has been so crowded lately that when veteran offensive lineman Jon Feliciano was cut by the Bills last week, well, he pretty much assumed he’d be the next to make the move.
He was right.
Feliciano signed his contract with the Giants on Wednesday, joining general manager Joe Schoen, head coach Brian Daboll, offensive line coach Bobby Johnson and others who have made the same switch over the past few months.
"It was definitely one of the first teams that came to mind just having the familiarity with Daboll and Bobby," Feliciano said of the Giants. "I’m excited it all worked out."
Feliciano is excited, too, to be playing center. It is a position he has not manned often in his NFL career, starting at the position in just two games and used mostly as a guard, but one he thinks he is best suited for. He started picking up on the intricacies of the position in Oakland as a backup to three-time Pro Bowler Rodney Hudson and kept working on it as his career developed.
"I’ve been in a lot of people’s ears for a lot of years trying to get to the center position," he said.
The Giants listened and made Feliciano part of the first wave of pieces they are bringing in to rebuild the line. That list includes presumed starting guard Mark Glowinski who signed with the Giants from the Colts and swing tackle Matt Gono who was signed last week.
"It’s kind of like the same situation as when I got to Buffalo," he said. "They were struggling up front, the offensive line was, and our 2019 team, the free agency offensive line group, we understood that this team had potential if we kept the quarterback upright. I believe the same thing from watching Danny Dimes play. I believe he can be a really good quarterback, especially if he has the time."
It'll now be up to Feliciano and the new line to give that to him.
BRADBERRY STICKS AROUND. The Giants were unable to trade CB James Bradberry before the start of the league year on Wednesday. Rather than cut him, they are carrying his $21.8 million salary cap number while continuing to find a trade partner. That may not happen until closer to the draft when more teams have their rosters near to a finished product. The Bradberry cap hit all but closes up shop for the Giants on any further free agent signings. Bradberry is due to be paid $13.4 million in 2022, the final year of his contract, with $2 million of that now guaranteed but not due him until the start of the regular season … Long-snapper Casey Kreiter is re-signing with the Giants after two solid seasons with the team. He was due to become an unrestricted free agent. CB Derron Williams re-signed as well. Williams was set to become an exclusive rights free agent … The Giants did not tender any of their restricted free agents – FB Cullen Gillaspia, DB Joshua Kalu and DB Steven Parker – and did not re-sign exclusive rights free agents QB Jake Fromm, OL Kyle Murphy and DB J.R. Reed.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
