1. What's in a name? Yes, the Panthers already had a Charles Johnson on their roster before signing the former Vikings wide receiver. But they didn't have one quite this fleet of foot.

"I sure hope so," Carolina's new wide receiver responded when asked if he can run faster than the Panthers' defensive end of the same name. "I know he's super-explosive, but I sure hope a receiver is faster than him."

Speed is a big part of the game for Johnson, who ran a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash at his pro day in 2013 (the elder Johnson ran at 4.86 at the 2007 NFL Scouting Combine). The two won't be mistaken for each other when it comes to foot speed, but the receiver said he has clicked on one of his bios and been greeted by the defensive end's photo.

Johnson joined the Panthers the same day Carolina added a second Kalil to their roster, signing left tackle Matt to pair with center Ryan. The Panthers also have two Thompsons (Shaq and Tyrus), two Youngs (Lou and Darrel) and kind of have two Dicksons (Ed Dickson and Travell Dixon).

The re-signing of Teddy Williams pairs him with Daryl Williams, but that's nothing. At one point in 2011, the Panthers had five Williamses on their roster.

2. Hoping for a speedy recovery: Johnson's speed (and two 1,000-yard seasons at Grand Valley State) prompted the Packers to use a seventh-round draft choice on him in 2013, but only after practice squad stints in Green Bay and Cleveland did he finally made his NFL debut with the Vikings 18 months after being drafted.

He made the most of it, catching 31 balls for 475 yards in 12 games, but he combined for fewer total catches and yards over the last two seasons. Johnson missed four games in 2014 with first a rib injury and then an ankle injury, but even when healthy he missed a lot of snaps because then-rookie Stefon Diggs took off in his absence.