A little stronger up front.
The 49ers are signing former Giants offensive lineman Jon Feliciano to a one-year deal. Feliciano is an eight year veteran who has spent time with the Raiders, Bills, and Giants. He's a bit of a journeyman now that he has landed on his fourth team in the last six years, but that does not mean he is not without talent.
Signing Feliciano is a solid move by the 49ers and a necessary one. He can lineup anywhere on the offensive line, which is a great talent in and of itself. With the Giants last year, he started at center for the 15 games he was active. Before that, he played for the Bills where he flipped between left guard and right guard.
Given that Daniel Brunskill has left the 49ers for the Titans, Feliciano acts as his replacement with his flexibility. Brunskill was the ultimate team first guy on the offensive line. The 49ers played him practically at every spot on the line and he gave them a sufficient output. Now that he is gone, the 49ers lose that safety net lineman. With Feliciano in the fold, he can step into any spot between the tackles where there is an injury or if a player is underperforming.
Bringing him on adds excellent depth and one where the 49ers can feel secured should he have to fill in. I'd imagine the 49ers look at him at right guard with Spencer Burford being the biggest question mark starter. He and Brunskill rotated throughout the season, so it will be a huge leap he must take next season to avoid that to become an every down player. Should he fail, then the 49ers have their contingency with Felciano.
All that is left is to find an answer at right tackle, which is starting to look like will be Colton McKivitz and a rookie to be drafted next month.
More must-reads: