Taylor, Staley stay away

[Gunzlingr]

SOMETIMES IT isn't a big deal when a veteran player misses the opening of an NFL minicamp. And sometimes it is.

Yesterday, when the Eagles convened for 8 days of short-pants sessions scheduled over the next 2 weeks, it wasn't considered significant that defensive tackle Corey Simon and cornerback Troy Vincent didn't take the field.

The absences of running back Duce Staley and cornerback Bobby Taylor seemed much more ominous.

Eagles sources said Simon and Vincent were attending to personal matters and would join their teammates today. Vincent reported yesterday for a physical, then was excused from the on-field work, Eagles sources said. Defensive tackle Paul Grasmanis said he was scheduled to pick Simon up from the airport after the workout

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[Gunzlingr]

2 Birds brooding over their contracts

When the Eagles finished their first full-squad minicamp last month, coach Andy Reid seemed certain that his team had cleared the hurdle of controversy that impeded it after the mass departure of veteran free agents this off-season.

Reid was confident that when his team reconvened yesterday at the NovaCare Complex that the calm focus he so covets would also be back.

He was mistaken.

What the Eagles had instead was an entirely new controversy and some more missing veterans.

This time, the absent players were cornerbacks Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent, running back Duce Staley, and defensive tackle Corey Simon.

Vincent and Simon had some personal business yesterday and are expected to rejoin the team for this morning's workout.

Taylor and Staley, on the other hand, are unhappy with their contract situations and will not be in attendance at any of the eight minicamp workouts that are designed to prepare the team for the start of training camp next month

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