Jun 17, 2008 - 5:21 PM
0 shoutsVALLEY RANCH, Texas (Ticker) -- Dallas Cowboys wide receivers Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn were absent Tuesday, when the team began its three-day mini-camp.
While Owens was granted permission to miss the camp, Glenn's absence likely could be traced to a dispute over his injury settlement.
According to the Cowboys' web site, Owens has an excused absence to tend to a personal matter that has nothing to do with last week's report that he had been placed in the NFL's "reasonable cause" testing program after missing phone calls to set up a random drug test.
Although he has never failed a drug test, Owens is now subject to as many as 24 annual tests under the reasonable cause program. He did take a pre-camp physical here Monday and attended Tuesday morning's team meeting.
"I think something came up," tight end Jason Witten said. "He's worked hard all offseason. His work ethic is contagious, guys see it and want to work that way. He's a big a part of this offseason. He's been a great teammate, really the last two years."
Glenn's situation, however, is an entirely different matter. Entering the third year of a five-year extension he signed in 2006, Glenn is set to receive a base salary of $1.74 million in 2008.
However, the Cowboys are concerned about Glenn's health and have not permitted him to practice until he signs an agreement that would pay his full 2008 salary only if he avoids an injury this season.
Glenn missed the first 15 games of last season with a knee injury. He played in Dallas' regular-season against Washington but did not have any receptions, then caught two passes in the Cowboys' playoff loss to the New York Giants.
According to team's website, the Cowboys want Glenn to sign a waiver that would pay him only $500,000 this year if he re-injures the knee. Glenn has been working to strengthen his knee in the offseason.
Glenn told ESPN.com that he will ask to be released if Dallas owner Jerry Jones continues to prevent him from practicing with the team.
"I'm not signing any waiver," Glenn said.
