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NFL notebook: Kraft charged with soliciting prostitute

[February 26, 2019] New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was charged with first-degree solicitation of a prostitute in Florida on Monday. Kraft has a court date scheduled for April 24. He doesn't need to appear, and a lawyer can represent him instead.

Kraft, 77, is facing two counts of misdemeanor solicitation connected to a sting at a massage parlor in Jupiter, Fla. If convicted of the misdemeanor charges, Kraft would face a maximum of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine as a first-time offender.

According to court documents, one of Kraft's visit to Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter was on Jan. 20, hours before the Patriots played the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game in Missouri. Kraft allegedly visited the spa on two occasions, according to law enforcement.

Earlier Monday, the NFL released an updated statement on Kraft, saying that the league's "personal conduct policy applies to everyone in the NFL. ... We will take appropriate action as warranted based on the facts," read the NFL statement.

--The Baltimore Ravens released veteran wide receiver Michael Crabtree after he spent one year with the team.

The team owed Crabtree a $2.5 million roster bonus next month and $7.5 million for the 2019 season, according to ESPN. His release will give Baltimore $4.67 million in additional salary cap space. Crabtree, 31, signed a three-year, $21 million contract last March.

Last season, Crabtree started 16 games and caught 54 passes -- his fewest in a full season since 2010 -- for 607 yards and three scores. He caught 19 passes in just five games in 2013, when he missed time due to a torn Achilles tendon.

--Looking to get younger and faster in the secondary, the Carolina Panthers cut cornerback Captain Munnerlyn and told safety Mike Adams that he won't be re-signed.

Munnerlyn, a 10-year veteran who turns 31 in April, had two years remaining on a four-year contract he signed before the 2017 season. He played all 16 games with five starts in 2018.

Adams, a 15-year NFL veteran who turns 38 next month, signed a two-year deal in 2017 and was set to become a free agent in March. He started all 16 games last season.

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Patriots owner Robert Kraft attends a conference at the Cannes Lions Festival in Cannes, France, June 23, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File Photo

--Former Florida offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor, a projected first-round draft pick, won't take part in various drills at the NFL Scouting Combine this week under the advice of renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews.

ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted a copy of the letter Andrews sent to NFL teams earlier this month to inform them of Taylor's mild distal hamstring strain, saying Taylor "should be able to return to normal activity in the near future."

In three seasons at Florida, Taylor, listed at 6-foot-5, 328-pounds, played in 37 games, starting 35 of them, and worked at both the left and right tackle spots.

--Running back Elijah Hood has signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Panthers, the team announced. Contract terms were not announced.

The Panthers claimed Hood, a Charlotte native, off waivers last May, but he tore an ACL in the final preseason game and spent the season on injured reserve. He was a seventh-round draft pick by Oakland in 2017.

"Obviously it's a blessing. I'm excited. I thank God that I'll get the opportunity to keep playing here," Hood, who turns 23 in April, said per the team's website.

--The Cleveland Browns re-signed offensive tackle Greg Robinson, the team announced.

Terms of the deal weren't announced but spotrac.com lists the contract as a one-year deal.

Robinson, 26, the No. 2 overall pick in 2014 by the then-St. Louis Rams, wasn't affiliated with any NFL organization when the Browns signed him last June.

--Field Level Media

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