BOSTON — The agent for New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman says his client will “vigorously” fight a charge that he groped a woman during a Halloween party at a Boston nightclub.
At a brief court hearing Tuesday, a not guilty plea was entered for Edelman to a charge of indecent assault and battery and he was released on personal recognizance.

Edelman did not say anything during the Boston Municipal Court appearance, which lasted just a couple of minutes. He and his attorney, Amy McNamee, walked through a crowd of reporters outside the courtroom without addressing them. He is due back in court on Jan. 10.

“The charges will be fought vigorously within the court system, instead of a rush to judgment elsewhere. We have no further comment beyond that,” agent Don Yee said in a statement released later by the Patriots, who declined to comment on the case.

Police were called to the club at about 1:30 a.m. and met a woman who said Edelman, 25, reached under her costume and grabbed her crotch, according to an application for a criminal complaint.

A witness who was with the woman said he observed Edelman bump into her and then saw her face “change into an expression of shock,” the complaint said. The woman and the witness told police they approached nightclub staff and asked to have Edelman thrown out.

The staff “ejected the witness followed by the victim,” the complaint said.

The nightclub manager told police the witness was threatening to beat up Edelman on the dance floor.
Edelman was arrested outside the club, where he denied to police that he groped the woman.

At his arraignment, he was ordered by a judge to stay away from the Storyville nightclub, and was ordered to have no contact with the woman or the witnesses.

Prosecutors did not ask for bail, but they did request a protective order on the woman’s name and address, which the judge granted.

RAIDERS: Oakland signed wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh to a contract.

The signing gives new quarterback Carson Palmer a receiver he knows extremely well. The two were teammates in Cincinnati for six seasons and both had their greatest NFL success when they were together.

Houshmandzadeh had been out of the league since playing with Baltimore last season but had been working out in Southern California with Palmer.

COLTS: Indianapolis waived offensive lineman Michael Toudouze from the active roster and released linebacker Cody Glenn from injured reserve.

VIKINGS: Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton and legislative leaders say the Vikings and their supporters should find a way to pay for a new stadium that doesn’t include a tax increase.

That leaves a large hole in the current proposal for a $1.1 billion stadium in suburban Ramsey County.

BROWNS: Wide receiver Brian Robiskie, a former second-round draft pick, was waived by Cleveland to make room for free-agent running back Thomas Clayton, who played in two games for them last season and has been brought back because of injuries to Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty.

TEXANS: Injured outside linebacker Mario Williams says he’s healing “extremely fast” in his recovery from a torn chest muscle that will sideline him the rest of this season.

BUCS: Tampa Bay signed safety David Sims, bolstering the team’s depth in the secondary. Sims was in training camp with the New York Giants, but was released during the final cuts.

LIONS: Star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and his staff to clarify questions about his play and the game.

“I have gained a better understanding how I need to continue to play the game to help my team win,” Suh said in a statement. “I look forward to the rest of the season and doing everything we can to bring the Lombardi Trophy to Detroit.”

Suh’s rough play has led to $42,500 in fines since Detroit drafted him No. 2 overall out of Nebraska in 2009.