The troubled 34 year old will likely have great difficulty in finding a new team due to several factors, not the least of which is that his wife intends to press charges.

Johnson, who had 15 catches with the New England Patriots last season, was released by them and picked up by the receiver-poor Miami Dolphins in an attempt to shore up the position somewhat. Neither of last year’s starting WRs have been present. Brandon Marshall was traded to Chicago in order to head off exactly the sort of thing Chad Johnson wound up bringing – massive off-the-field distraction and negative publicity.

Brian Hartline has yet to play any due to a calf injury and will probably miss the next preseason game against the Panthers, so Chad’s absence from the team leaves them with Legedu Naanee at one outside position, experienced and crafty but physically limited veteran slot receiver Davone Bess, and little else.

With project TE Zac Efron’s blocking struggles, Miami Head Coach Joe Philbin might entertain moving him to wideout, where he’d have a size and weight advantage against corners while having 4.4 speed. Interesting idea, but we’ll have to wait and see if that’s in the cards.

In the end, Chad Johnson may very well have another chance to make a roster somewhere, but probably not until after the season starts and injuries begin to hit. In any case, the legal part is going to have to play out before anyone will probably take a chance on him.

Statistically, Johnson has had a nice career and was one of the league’s most dangerous threats starting in 2001 until just a few years ago. He’s had 6 consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons from ’02-07 and one more in ’09 – all with the Cincinnati Bengals.

He’s had 766 receptions for 11,059 yards for a very respectable 14.4 yds/rec average and 67 TDs over his career.

Oct, 9, 2011; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Legedu Naanee (17) with the ball in the third quarter. The Saints defeated the Panthers 30-27 at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE

Former Carolina Panthers and San Diego Chargers wide receiver Legedu Naanee has signed a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins, his agent, David Canter, told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Naanee had 44 catches for 467 yards and one touchdown in 15 games last season for the Panthers.

Naanee spent his first four seasons with the Chargers, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2007 draft out of Boise State. In 69 career games, he has 107 receptions for 1,213 yards and four TDs.

I’m perfectly fine with the pooling of has been Panther players in Miami, means we don’t have to worry about them hurting our cap space.

July 31, 2011; Spartanburg, SC, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receivers David Gettis (12) and Brandon LaFell (11) during training camp at Gibbs Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-US PRESSWIRE

Last year there was a lot of uncertainty at the wide receiver position outside of Steve Smith. Legedu Naanee seemed to have been given the starting job solely due to the fact that he played for Ron Rivera when he was the Chargers. Then David Gettis suffered a season ending injury and Brandon LaFell was never really given a chance to shine (until the last couple games). However, this year looks like it might be different. Gettis has healed well after surgery on his leg and looks to be 100% by the time training camp rolls around. Brandon LaFell had some very bright moments at the end of last season when he was given a couple starts and he should have an even bigger impact this year now that Naanee is out of the way.

This upcoming season is going to play a big role in Gettis and LaFell’s future with the Panthers. This will be both players’ third season with the Panthers and they need to show Ron Rivera that they can be productive and take some of the pressure off of Cam Newton, and eventually take over for Steve Smith. If they do not perform well this year, then some changes could be warranted. Most likely they would consider drafting a receiver in next year’s draft, or signing the best available receiver in free agency next year.

However, both Gettis and LaFell have all the tools needed to be successful in this league. Gettis is 6-3 and almost 220 lbs, and has the straight –line speed to get past defenses and the vertical to go up and grab the ball at its highest point. LaFell is 6-2, 211 lbs, and this past season developed into a solid possession receiver. LaFell doesn’t have the speed that’s going to burn defenses, but last year he caught just about everything that touched his hands and also is a decent run blocker. With the addition of Stewart, Williams, and newly added fullback/running back Mike Tolbert in the backfield, the Panthers are looking to be one of the most explosive offenses in the league. Add all that together and you got what looks to be one of the most prolific offenses in franchise history. The 2012 season is definitely setting up to be one of the most exciting ones in the last decade and should be a lot of fun to watch.