Jon Runyan epitomized what it meant to be an Eagle.
Very rarely is a player unanimously like by the Philadelphia fanbase, but Jon Runyan was able to do just that. He was beloved by everyone in the city during his 10 years with the franchise.
Now, after not being able to find a home for the first 10 games of the season, it looks like Runyan has found a match across the country in San Diego to play for the Chargers.
Runyan has been extremely underrated during his NFL career, whether it be in Houston/Tennessee with the Oilers/Titans, or in Philadelphia with the Eagles. Right now, if we don't count his stay on free agency, Runyan has a starting streak of 190 regular season games.
The man is an absolute warrior and would have to be nearly crippled if he were to ever miss a game.
On top of his reliability, Runyan can change the entire demeanor of an offensive line. He's often called a dirty player, but he's really just a guy who plays the right tackle position the way it is supposed to be played: with an attitude.
That attitude infects the other four guys playing on that line with him and creates a wall of big men who will take your head off if for no other reason than to impress Jon.
In fact, a 2008 poll of NFL defensive players revealed that getting blocked by Runyan on a screen pass was one of the scariest things they could face.
Said Cortland Finnegan of the Tennessee Titans: "A screen with Jon Runyan with [Brian] Westbrook behind him," he said. "One-on-one with Runyan with Westbrook behind him for a touchdown. Oh my goodness. I know I am going to have to go through him if it's for a touchdown. I'm just thinking about what body part I am going to use that could be injured. Shoulder? Neck? Back? Those three things I would be highly worried about with Runyan.
With Jeromey Clary out for the year, Runyan would be the perfect guy to step in and not only fill a role, but to help that entire offensive line get better. A nasty guy like Runyan could really help get that running game going and make that Chargers offense even more scary.
And suddenly, I'd find myself rooting very quietly for the Chargers, just as I do with Dawk and the Broncos.
