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'I feel comfortable here' Eagles make OT Runyan highest-paid lineman ever
Posted: Monday February 14, 2000 08:30 PM
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The Philadelphia Eagles broke ground on a $25 million practice facility and signed a $30 million free agent Monday. Jon Runyan, a 6-foot-7, 330-pound right tackle, became the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history when he signed a 6-year, $30 million deal. Runyan, 26, leaves the AFC Champion Tennessee Titans for an Eagles team that is coming off a 5-11 season. "It was going to take something to get me out of Tennessee and here I am," Runyan said. "There's a great feeling around here. The team is moving in the right direction. They stepped up and made the decision easy on the business end." Runyan, who arrived in Philadelphia late Saturday night, said all along his decision would come down to money. Runyan's agent, Ben Dogra, said Tennessee offered him a six-year deal in excess of the $27 million package Cleveland gave to free-agent tackle Orlando Brown last year. However, the Eagles' offer is significantly more front-end loaded. "There was no bidding war," Dogra said, adding that the Eagles initial offer was lower than the Titans'. "Tennessee had an offer to make him the highest paid lineman. We asked them if they would move on their offer. They probably called our bluff, thinking they would be bidding against themselves." Runyan received a $6 million signing bonus and will get an additional $3.5 million if he is on the roster Feb. 21. His base salary for the 2000 season is $500,000. Runyan will count $5 million against the salary cap this year. He will earn $3.5 million in 2001-03. His salary increases to $4.5 in 2004 and $5.5 million in 2005. A Pro Bowl clause could make the final year worth $6.5 million. "He's the best right tackle in football, bar none," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "Everything starts with the offensive line. Having that philosophy, he is a key ingredient. He's a big part of this." Runyan, a four-year veteran, played for three, 8-8 Titans teams prior to Tennessee's Super Bowl run this year. He believes there are similarities between his former team and his new team. "I feel comfortable here," Runyan said. "They have a great, young quarterback [Donovan McNabb], a good running back [Duce Staley] and a solid defense. It's hard to turn down." Runyan will team with 6-foot-7, 350-pound left tackle Tra Thomas to give the Eagles formidable bookend tackles. He helps solidify an offensive line unit that has not played well consistently since the early 1980s. The last offensive lineman to represent the Eagles in the Pro Bowl was Jerry Sisemore in 1982. Runyan also allows the Eagles to address other needs, namely wide receiver and defensive line, with the No. 6 pick in April's draft. "This is obviously a position we feel secure at," Reid said. "Does it mean we won't take another lineman in the draft? No." Runyan was scheduled to leave Philadelphia on Sunday. However, he decided to stay another day as a good faith gesture to prove he was serious about the Eagles. The team has been burned by free agents in the past who used their visit to Philadelphia as a bargaining tool. Dogra said he had not scheduled any other visits for Runyan though several teams are believed to have expressed interest. Runyan was on hand Monday afternoon when officials from the city, team and corporate partner NovaCare broke ground for the team's new practice center. Runyan donned a hard hat, grabbed a shovel and scooped some dirt. The facility, which is scheduled to open in October, is being built on land where the former Naval Hospital once stood in South Philadelphia. "It had some effect in the decision, seeing that management is taking the next step to make this an elite team," Runyan said. "This is tremendous, we need it to compete," Eagles Pro Bowl cornerback Troy Vincent said. The practice center is to include three grass fields, a 70-yard indoor facility, a state-of-the-art weight room, 200-seat auditorium and training room equipped with a hydrotherapy pool. "When you buy a football team, you don't expect to find a rat-infested stadium with deplorable working conditions, but that's what we inherited," Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said. "This is the first step in a two-step process to bring a world-class project to Philadelphia." The Eagles are still waiting for City Council to approve a stadium deal.
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