Winslow handed 14 years for rape

Former NFL player Kellen Winslow II agreed Friday to a change in his rape-case plea deal so he could lock in a 14-year prison sentence.

Once a first-round NFL draft pick and the highest paid tight-end in the league, the 37-year-old Encinitas, Calif., resident had faced between 12 to 18 years in prison following his convictions for raping a homeless woman and charges linked to misconduct with other women.

But his attorneys disputed whether the sentences for the crimes added up to 18 years. To avoid a courtroom battle over that issue, both the prosecution and defense agreed to a change in Winslow’s guilty plea, swapping out one charge for another.

To achieve that end, his guilty plea to sexual battery of a 54-year-old hitchhiker in Encinitas was dropped, and replaced with a guilty plea to assault with the intent to commit rape on the same woman.

Superior Court Judge Blaine Bowman approved the change, and set Winslow’s sentencing date for March 3. He must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.