I was searching around the Philadelphia newspapers to get an idea on why they paid an unproven Ryan Fowler the kind of money they did. I found their answer, but that wasn't the most important thing I found. Buried in one of the articles was this nugget.
The rumor last year was that we almost traded Julius Jones on the day of the draft. It never came to fruition but several sources said it was definitely discussed. We may have a similar situation this year. I'm not sure how easy it will be to trade Julius because this is the final year of his contract, so any team that gets him would want a new, longer-term contract. Keep an eye on this though; it's the second year in a row that the rumors have been floating around Julius Jones. But also remain skeptical, because almost anybody can be had "for the right price" as stated in the above rumor. So this could be no more than teams calling Jerry, and Jerry telling them that if they pay the right price - meaning a high price - he would deal Julius Jones. Which is a lot different than actively wanting to part with his services.
Meanwhile, here's the stuff on Ryan Fowler I was originally searching for.
Herman said Fowler (6-3, 250) has not been promised a starting role this season, but Herman and other sources close to the situation said the Birds do view Fowler, who turns 25 in May, as a starting-quality player at some point.
If you want to read more about Fowler and the Eagles, visit JB over at the excellent SB Nation Eagles' blog, Bleeding Green Nation.