The reason could be to try to shorten the time the 727 pilots who elected to be "excessed" sit on the sidelines waiting for a training date.

Since by the CBA those pilots would have to be trained after those pilots who bid for vacancies or bid to relieve an excess.

And in addition to the FACT that FedEx has published excess bids in combination wih vacancy bids in the not so distant past; the way that 13-03 & 13-04 were done creates more issues as Tony C described above.