LAS VEGAS — When John Feliciano saw it, it looked like two trains on the same track were heading towards each other. There was a possibility that one of them would deviate and the crisis would be averted.
But perhaps not, and a head-on collision was destined to occur.
Feliciano, who will be the Giants’ starting center in 2022, saw the dynamic between Brian Daboll and Wink Martindale this way.
“I think it was unfortunate how that ended with Wink and Daveth,” said Feliciano, now the 49ers’ starting right guard. “I love both of them as coaches. I mean, once you get to know Wink and you get to know Daves, it could be magic and it could end up being whatever it is.”
The day after the Giants finished the season with a 6-11 record, Martindale stormed out of the room cursing Daboll, leaving Daboll and the Giants in need of a new defensive coordinator.
“I think they both have strong personalities, and as you can see, Daveth can explode,” Feliciano said. “As a guy who knows him, I know what you get, and it’s nothing personal, it’s nothing, but Daves wants to win really, really bad. Even in Buffalo. Now that he’s the head coach, he has more of a weight on his shoulders. What did he do wrong that ruined it now? And Wink is a strong guy. Maybe that’s what happened. Probably.”
Feliciano claims he thoroughly enjoyed his year with the Giants, but he’s moving on to bigger and better things. As the 49ers’ right guard, he’s preparing to block Christian McCaffrey and defend Brock Purdy against the Chiefs in the 2024 Super Bowl.
Left tackle Trent Williams is the highest-rated lineman on the team, which is no surprise, but Feliciano, who started 16 games and 7 games with his new team, is the second-highest-rated lineman on the team. It has become a man. Not bad for a 31-year-old who signed a one-year deal for $2.25 million.
Feliciano was part of the cultural infusion Daboll and general manager Joe Schon wanted to bring to the Giants, and the three spent three seasons together with the Bills. Feliciano started 15 games at center, and the nine-year NFL veteran called the 2022 season “one of my favorite seasons.” He was able to play in front of his father and several family members – he was born in East Meadow, Louisiana, but grew up in South Florida and was a valued leader in demand both on the field and in the locker room. .
“To go with them to a new place with no expectations, they haven’t played well in years,” Feliciano said. “Going over there and being a leader and helping the team turn things around and get into the playoffs, and we won the playoffs, it meant so much more to do it in New York. .”
There was talk of bringing back Feliciano, but he correctly sensed that the Giants wanted to rejuvenate at the center position and selected Jon-Michael Schmitz in the second round of the 2023 draft. There was something else that gnawed at Feliciano.
“At that point, when our relationship with the Niners was on the line, we also had discussions with the Giants,” Feliciano said. There is. ”
Look where they are.
According to Pro Football Focus, Feliciano averaged 58.2 points last season as a center for the Giants. He played right guard for the Niners, posting an 81.2 grade and not allowing a sack in 257 pass-blocking snaps. The 49ers previously had trouble getting McCaffrey to run to the right side, but with Feliciano slotting in alongside right tackle Colton McKiewicz, those concerns are gone.
It was a gradual promotion. When Aaron Banks went down with a toe injury, Feliciano initially filled in at left guard. On Thanksgiving, Feliciano was called up to play right guard as Spencer Burford was out with a knee issue. Feliciano went in and never came out.
He was a winning starter against the Packers and Lions in the playoffs, and there’s no reason to believe he’ll be anywhere else in the lineup Sunday against the Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium.
Feliciano helped Saquon Barkley rush for a career-high 1,312 yards last season, but he called McCaffrey “the best running back in the league,” and his choice to hook up with the 49ers was a no-brainer. It worked wonderfully for him.
“When you’re on a team this good and you handle your blocks, Christian is good at making safety mistakes and turning blocked plays on fourth and five into 15, 25 and sometimes home runs,” Feliciano said. Told. “It will make you look better.”
