Between them, Thomas and Runyan set a franchise record for a tackle tandem - they'd played 102 games together by the end of last season. And Thomas, the Birds' first-round draft choice in 1998, now has the team's second-longest tenure (behind Brian Dawkins, 1996). Thomas' 135 games in an Eagles uniform rank fourth all-time among Birds offensive linemen, behind Chuck Bednarik, Guy Morriss and Jerry Sisemore.
Justice had to think, when the Eagles drafted him, that this was a pretty good situation - both starting tackles over 30, Thomas coming off surgery and a potentially career-threatening blood clot problem. But that isn't how it has played out. With the old guys looking spry, this is a ridiculously deep offensive line, easily the team's most well-stocked grouping. There's no talk of Justice filling in as a guard if Todd Herremans or Shawn Andrews should go down - Scott Young is the guy there, and behind him is massive Max Jean-Gilles.
So wouldn't Justice really like to see Thomas limp off during one of these drills and decide, upon reflection, that it's time to, say, devote himself to evangelism full time?
"I'll never wish that upon him," Justice said. "The only thing I can do is make the best of the situation I have. If it's sitting another year and watching Tra and Jon again, I'll make the best out of it, like I did last year. I can't learn from two better tackles . . . Whenever someone's competitive, in any type of field, and they have success in it, they'll always want to prove they can play. Him being out here, you just have to make the best of it.
"Even though I'm not playing, it's not like I'm not progressing. Having coach Juan [Castillo, the offensive line coach] always working me out at practice, it's almost like a game."
