Jon Runyan Anyone?

by Sportscaster on Apr 17, 2009 2:35 PM EDT

With news that the Bills have moved Peters to the Eagles, see front page, let me be the first to speculate on some options for the Bills to fix the line this year.

I would love to package a trade to get Brian Waters from KC. I don't know if this is a hugely realistic option at this point however. So, I'm going to look at some scenarios out there through the draft.

We could draft one of the top 3 OT's with the 11th overall pick. There is a strong possibility all three of them could be gone by the time the Bills pick. Then we're up the creek without a paddle. So what are some options?

I would be a big proponent at this point of going out and picking up Jon Runyan, formerly of the Eagles. I know he's the wrong side of 30 (he's 35). But, he has that "mean streak" the Bills are looking for, has a great attitude, is a Pro Bowler and has something to prove after being let go by the Eagles. This would give the Bills some flexibility, maybe move Walker to LT and put Runyan at RT. Toss Kirk Chambers into the mix. Maybe it gives Demetrius Bell one more year to become the "next Jason Peters" without the heartache and headache.

Additionally, this give the Bills the freedom to draft the BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE at #11. Then, maybe one of the two all-world centers (Max Unger or Alex Mack) are available at #28. The consensus is these two may be the best two centers to come out in a long time. You can move Hangartner over to Guard and then draft BEST AVAILABLE in the 2nd Round.

Here's Some Runyan Stats to back up my desire to get him:

6'7", 330 Pounds. Has started 192 straight regular season games. 21 postseason starts since 1999. More than any other active player in NFL. For you math majors, that's 213 Consecutive starts without missing a game. Allowed just 7.0 sacks in 2008 in 16 games (compare that to 11.5 for Peters in 13 games).

Other Tackles available in free agency still:

Jonas Jennings (Goo!)

Richie Incognito, Rams- Stop gap and depth at best

Mark Tauscher, Green Bay

Any thoughts?

Just another great fan opinion shared on the pages of BuffaloRumblings.com.

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Comments

The main issue with Runyan right now is that he’s coming off major knee surgery. He had microfracture surgery when the season ended and he said it would be 6 months before he could step back on the field.

So, determining whether he’s healthy when training camp rolls around will be the #1 thing any team interested in him will have to do. The good thing is, I think the injury is going to prevent him from getting signed anytime soon. So you’ll have the luxury to wait until after the draft and maybe even into camp before deciding whether Runyan will be ready for the season.

Bleeding Green Nation - Philadelphia Eagles Blog

by JasonB on Apr 17, 2009 2:44 PM EDT reply actions

Thanks for the reply

I’m certainly not advocating Runyan as a long-term solution, or even a solution past this year. But at least you get a proven guy coming in and giving the Bills some options. I also tend to think offensive lineman rebound from knee injuries quicker. They don’t need to do as many cuts, or use the speed as much as positional players, thus they just need the knee healthy so they can hold their ground. Just a risk that wouldn’t cost much and gives the Bills some options.

by Sportscaster on Apr 17, 2009 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Jonas Jennings! Yeah!

Runyan’s injuries are why I wouldn’t touch him….

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Apr 17, 2009 2:51 PM EDT reply actions

I like Runyan, but I don’t think he’s a good fit in Buffalo at all. Any scenario where Walker is moved from RT to LT seems like a bad way to move forward. If I were the Bills, I wouldn’t consider an OT in the draft unless they had the athleticism and footwork to play the left side.

by kaisertown on Apr 17, 2009 3:03 PM EDT reply actions

Yes

bring him in to a one year, incentive laden contract if you even think he has a chance of staying healthy this year…

by tiimbitz4786 on Apr 17, 2009 3:36 PM EDT reply actions

1) I love Mack, but I’m satisfied with Hangartner at C, and I’m not terribly awed by Unger. SO unless we want to move one of Hangartner or Mack, I’m not sold on drafting Mack at 28 (if he;s there at 42 he’s almost definitely BPA, so no problem then)

2) I’d love to add Runyan as a guy to throw in the mix. He gives us more options, and would probably provide some solid influence on any guys we draft.

by Hopefulcynic on Apr 17, 2009 3:53 PM EDT reply actions

i had a post on this topic for the eagles yesterday

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2009/4/15/839288/runyan-an-option

looks like we wont be needing him now, but here’s what some Eagles fans think about him after he has been a staple of our OL for years

"You always hear about ballplayers buying numbers from other players for five figures. When this .300 lifetime hitter was in Philly, he traded his number to Mitch Williams for two cases of beer." - Stuff Magazine on John Kruk

by BadCo'09 on Apr 17, 2009 5:45 PM EDT reply actions