Fowler changes mind, signs with Tennesse

by JasonB on Mar 12, 2007 5:07 PM EDT in News Comment 13 comments

This is a developing story, but WIP's Howard Eskin is reporting that Cowboys backup MLB Ryan Fowler who had agreed to a deal with the Eagles has changed his mind and signed an offer sheet for the Tennessee Titans.

Apparently he had verbally agreed to a deal with the Eagles, but changed his mind last night and informed the Eagles that he was signing with the Titans. Earlier today the Eagles had curiously pulled a font page story about Fowler's signing off the front page of their official site.

This is also after his agent made this statement...

Tennessee was very competitive with Philadelphia. The offers were identical," agent Alan Herman said. "But in the end, Ryan decided to go to Philadelphia, because he thought that would be a better situation for him.

Am I the only one who finds this a bit funny? One day the guy is a backup/special teamer for the Cowboys and the next he's a got a mini bidding war for his services. He apparently didn't know how to handle it! Oh well, certainly not the biggest loss in the world. At least my amazement that the Eagles would be paying a backup LB for the Cowboys more this year($4 mil) than the Pats are paying Stallworth($3.6 mil) can go away... Hopefully this means it's more likely that Patrick Willis could be coming our way!

Update [2007-3-12 17:20:40 by BleedGreen]: Confirmed on the Titans official site.

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Damn.

It's not Fowler, per se, because what's he ever done? But the fact that the Eagles haven't improved their linebacking corps at all in free agency annoys me.

Hopefully Willis is still around by the time they pick (and they take him!), because going into 2007 with just our current linebackers concerns me greatly.

Failure is not an option in this dojo. -- Shawn Barber

by BrianS on Mar 12, 2007 5:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Me too

I basically am thinking the same way you are. I don't care about Fowler particularly, but I'm desperate for some type of new blood in there.

If Willis is there and they don't take him... I'll be... well let's just say I'll be a bit upset. Likely, I'll vent said frustration here...

Bleeding Green Nation Philadelphia Eagles Blog

by JasonB on Mar 12, 2007 5:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What changed his mind?

Let me throw out a theory. Jerry Jones does not want the Eagles to get this guy. Fowler desperately does not want the Cowboys to match an offer for him. Jones calls his agent and says "if you sign with the Eagles I'll match the deal." Since he was promised a shot to start by both teams, Fowler and his agent decide to sign with the Titans rather than risk calling Jones' bluff.

We'll probably never know, but it's interesting to speculate...

Bleeding Green Nation Philadelphia Eagles Blog

by JasonB on Mar 12, 2007 5:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

might just be speculation...

BUT I'M BUYING IT THOUGH!

-Denver

by 700 Level on Mar 12, 2007 5:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

How did everyone get this wrong?

Major news outlets said he'd signed the offer sheet.

Why couldn't they all be wrong about Stallworth, too?

"Stallworth changes mind: Signs with Eagles."

I really, really hate this time of year.

Failure is not an option in this dojo. -- Shawn Barber

by BrianS on Mar 12, 2007 5:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

His agent

Flat out said he chose the Eagles. So I don't think everyone got it "wrong." He just changed his mind.

Bleeding Green Nation Philadelphia Eagles Blog

by JasonB on Mar 12, 2007 9:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

back to being pessimistic

Free agency only really sucks if you're an eagles fan...

-Denver

by 700 Level on Mar 12, 2007 5:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I was just warming up to the Fowler signing...

...and then this about face! Yesterday I didn't care, but then I started feeling good about improving the linebacking corps and improving special teams coverage...(better coverage in Tampa and the Bucs are never even close to a 62 yd. field goal!) Also, I think the new Titans GM knows what he's doing( I have no facts to back that up ), so their interest made me think that maybe Fowler really can play and isn't just another taller Mark Simoneau.

by greenheart on Mar 12, 2007 6:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

LeCharles Fower ?

Nothing compares to last year's LeCharles Bentley about face, though ! That was like a nightmare when it occured, and now it seems like a blessing. LeCharles isn't going to play this year, either...they're center for '07 will still be our old friend Honeybuns.

by greenheart on Mar 12, 2007 6:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Bentley

Is there any evidence at all besides Mark Eckel's word that the Eagles had made him an offer? I don't think anyone at the Eagles said they tried to do this. I don't recall Bentley visting Philly or ever mentioning Philly. (And why would the Eagles pursue him with Fraley and Jackson on the roster for far less money?)

Was Eckel just driving up the price to the Browns as a favor to the agent? That's my suspicion, and its hardly the first time a sports "journalist" has done this. Pasquarelli does it all time.

by Andrew on Mar 12, 2007 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Who Knows, But...

I think Brookover at the Inq. also had that story, maybe others as well. Agents do leak to the media to drive up the price for their guys, but wouldn't and agent want to use a national guy for that, and not a Trenton Times guy?(no offense to Mark Eckel)

I think, too, there was some discussion of moving him to guard. And, although the Eagles aren't free spenders this time of year, they do value and will pay for line players on either side. So, it might have been true.

by greenheart on Mar 12, 2007 9:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Fool me once... shame on you...

Fool me twice... shame on me...

That's twice now the media has gotten something wrong... i enjoy the excitement, but the falsehoods are killing me...

BGN, thanks for staying on top of these things.

Fly Eagles Fly!
The Eagles Chronicles

by klkatz on Mar 12, 2007 10:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

What happened, from PFT

Late last week, the Eagles and the Titans were both negotiating with Fowler, who previously played for the Cowboys. Titans G.M. Mike Reinfeldt, however, had to return to Seattle to deal with a family medical issue. Over the weekend, Fowler's agent, Alan Herman, was unable to reach Reinfeldt to determine whether the pending offer from the Titans was their final offer.

Acting under the assumption that they had the Titans' best offer, Herman and Fowler weighed the offers from Tennessee and Philly and Fowler decided to sign the Eagles' offer sheet.

On Sunday, Reinfeldt got back to Herman, and presented the Titans' final offer. It was better than the Eagles' offer. The only problem? Herman already had told the Eagles that Fowler would sign the Eagles' offer sheet.

As we understand it, Herman explained the situation to the Eagles, and Fowler took Sunday night to make a decision. On Monday morning, he decided to sign the offer sheet from the Titans.

The Eagles thereafter pulled from their official web site the story regarding Fowler's decision to sign with the team, prompting rampant speculation and confusion among the fan base.

Bottom line -- the Eagles are not upset. It was an unusual set of circumstances, and but for Reinfeldt's personal situation the Titans would have gotten their final offer on the table at the same time that the Eagles did, and Fowler would have accepted it.

Though we don't know whether the offer contains a poison pill, we're told that the Titans' package is more front-loaded than the Eagles' offer, and that it is unlikely that the Cowboys will be able to match. They have seven days to make a decision, after Fowler signs the offer sheet.

Bleeding Green Nation Philadelphia Eagles Blog

by JasonB on Mar 13, 2007 9:20 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs