The 49ers are being safe with their starting right guard Spencer Buford this week.
Burford is listed as doubtful with a knee injury, which means he almost certainly won't play. It's interesting that the 49ers didn't list him as out, though. The doubtful designation seems to suggest he could play if the game were more important.
Burford sat out the 49ers' Thanksgiving game against the Seahawks with the same knee injury, then played last week against the Eagles. This suggests his injury could be a pain-tolerance issue, and there's no reason for him to play through it against the Seahawks, who aren't good. Better to get him healthy and rested for the playoffs which start in a little more than a month.
If Burford indeed sits out this week, his replacement at right guard will be Jon Feliciano, who might just be better than Burford right now. Burford is young and athletic, but he generates zero push at the point of attack. In fact, the only push he generates is when he gets pushed back.
As opposed to Feliciano, who's a strong veteran. He's not the most nimble offensive lineman on the team, but he can push a defensive lineman and create a new line of scrimmage for the offense. And when he started two games ago in Seattle, the 49ers run game improved. Suddenly, they could run to the right and to the left, not just to the left.
The 49ers need to give Feliciano a long look this weekend. Because if he's an upgrade over Burford, they have to keep Feliciano on the field the rest of the season.
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