Instead of taking a physical with the Baltimore Ravens, Terrell Owens bided his time Monday, waiting to see if he will be declared a free agent by a special arbitrator.

The Ravens waited for the same decision.

The tempestuous wide receiver was traded to Baltimore by San Francisco last week for a second-round draft choice after the league ruled his agent had not voided the final three years of his contract by a Feb. 21 deadline.

He was traded last Thursday after the Ravens offered more than the Philadelphia Eagles, the team Owens expressed a desire to play for.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Monday the league had been informed by the NFL Players Association that the union will ask special master Stephen Burbank to have Owens’ contract voided, making him a free agent.

Meanwhile, quarterback Jeff Garcia was offered an $8 million, two-year contract by the Cleveland Browns. Garcia worked out in Tampa on

Sunday and there were reports he is close to a deal with the Bucs.

, whose West Coast offense is the system in which he thrived with the 49ers.

One indication that Garcia might not sign with Cleveland came from Tim Couch, the Browns’ incumbent quarterback, who has been asked to take a pay cut.

“I still want to be here,” Couch said Monday after working out at the team’s training facility. “I still want to be part of this organization. I still believe in my teammates here and believe they can get it done.”

In other developments Monday:

– The Jets released veteran wide receiver Curtis Conway and welcomed Justin McCareins, obtained for a second-round draft choice from Tennessee last week. “It’s great to have a team be that interested in you,” said MCareins, who caught 47 passes for the Titans last season and scored seven touchdowns, one against the Jets in their Monday night upset victory over Tennessee.

– Cincinnati re-signed center Rich Braham, who has spent his entire 10-year career with the team.

AP-ES-03-08-04 1846EST