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Absence makes the heart grow fonder?

By Bob Harris, Special to SI.com

The Browns are apparently preparing for life without Tim Couch, even if Butch Davis says otherwise. AP

With the first round of minicamps behind them, teams around the league continue to hold "voluntary" workouts. However, some of the NFL's top fantasy players are missing time and others have decided or been asked not to get in on the fun at all.

Here's a quick rundown of who's working and who's out.

Cleveland: According to The Associated Press, Tim Couch has filed a grievance against the Browns, who have banned the former first-round signal caller from working out with them even though he is still under contract.

Couch didn't participate in the club's voluntary quarterback school this week. He also missed a minicamp earlier this month after the Browns told him to stop coming to their training facility while they tried to trade him.

Couch had been working out at the team's training facility until Jeff Garcia was signed. Soon after, the Browns told Couch he was no longer welcome.

Before the minicamp, the Browns went so far as to clean out Couch's locker and remove his nameplate. But on Thursday, head coach Butch Davis said he has no plans to release Couch after June 1. Davis also said there was still a possibility Couch could return as a backup.

Kansas City: After missing the first two on-field workouts, Priest Holmes hit the practice field Thursday for the first time in more than four months.

According to The Kansas City Star, the fantasy superstar fumbled early and immediately hit the ground for an extended set of push-ups intended as self-imposed punishment.

"It doesn't matter whether it's the first day or not," Holmes said. "You drop the ball or you fumble the ball or you fall down, you do the push-ups. That's a reminder those things are important. You'd rather have them happen now than during the season."

Holmes, an off-and-on participant in the conditioning portion of the offseason program, skipped the first couple of practices to be in Texas with his father, who recently returned for a two-week break from military service in Iraq.

Also, star tight end Tony Gonzalez is sidelined by a mild stress fracture in his foot.

"It's better to be cautious and play it safe than regret pushing him too hard," head coach Dick Vermeil said. "We're supposed to get another read on it soon."

Asked if there were any long-term concerns regarding the injury, the coach said, "No, not really. It's just that stress fractures can be a pain in the neck. It is healing properly and the last read from the MRI indicated it was making progress."

Miami: David Boston returned to practice after missing the last quarterback school with an injured shin. Head coach Dave Wannstedt said Boston also worked out last week when the team was off.

"David Boston was back working and really did a nice job," Wannstedt said. "Physically I don't think he had any carryover from his [shin] injury."

Quarterback Jay Fiedler told the Palm Beach Post that Boston was impressive.

"He looked great," Fiedler said. "He has some explosiveness. He turned on the juice a little bit and you can see the speed that he carries with him. He gets physical for defenders and fought for a couple of balls out there. ..."

New Orleans: Donte' Stallworth worked with the first-team offense opposite Joe Horn and, according to the Times-Picayune of New Orleans, appears to have moved ahead of veteran Jerome Pathon in the starting lineup.

Pittsburgh: Plaxico Burress' absence from voluntary practice stretched into its third day Thursday with no end in sight. According to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Burress has told those close to him that he is not planning to rejoin teammates until he is contractually obligated to report to training camp July 30 at St. Vincent College.

Burress has missed the first three of 14 coaching sessions scheduled through June 10. The sessions are voluntary, but head coach Bill Cowher strongly encourages all players to attend.

"I thought he was going to be here, but obviously he's not," Hines Ward, the team's other starting wideout, told reporters Tuesday. "It's sad. I don't think it had to come to this. ... I've got to prepare like we're going into the season right now without Plax; we don't know what is going to happen."

In case you missed it, Burress told a national radio audience last week that the team was "inconsiderate" toward players for holding a mandatory minicamp on Mother Day's weekend.

All of which prompted Ward to ask what the rest of us were already thinking.

"If that's the excuse, Mother's Day, if that's what he says, we have to abide by it, but what's the reason right now?" Ward said. "I don't know. I can't answer the question."

St. Louis: Kurt Warner has been excused from participating a mandatory minicamp this weekend, lending further credence to the notion he'll be released after June 1.

Warner's agent, Mark Bartelstein, told reporters it was a mutual decision between his client and the Rams to skip the minicamp.

Warner has been participating in the Rams' offseason conditioning program.

"That's just a good thing to get in shape," Bartelstein said. "The minicamp is more team-orientated."

Tampa Bay: After missing the first round of voluntary workouts late last month due to a league commitment, Keenan McCardell was a no-show again this week when the team assembled for a three-day stretch that concluded Friday. At issue is McCardell's contract.

Without McCardell and Joe Jurevicius, who is recovering from offseason knee surgery, coaches were able to give extra repetitions to Michael Clayton, the team's No. 1 pick, and the rest of the team's receiving corps.

"We're very, very excited with what Joey Galloway did [Tuesday] and very pleased with where Michael Clayton is," head coach Jon Gruden said. "Joe Jurevicius' return is right around the corner. We'll use this time to get Edell Shepherd, Marcus Knight, some newcomers like Sylvester Morris and Mark Jones opportunities to take advantage of.

"And obviously work hard at getting Keenan back in here."

Bob Harris is Editor and Webmaster of the TFL Report and Senior Editor for Fantasy Sports Publications.