CHARLOTTE – The Panthers added depth to the secondary Friday, bringing back cornerback C.J. Wilson after starting cornerback Chris Gamble injured his ankle in practice on Thursday.
To clear a roster spot for Wilson, Carolina placed wide receiver Charly Martin on injured reserve. He sustained a right hamstring injury in practice Thursday.
Wilson worked out for the New York Giants on Tuesday but hadn't yet heard back from them come Thursday, when he planned to spend the day in his Dallas home waiting for phone calls and watching "The Godfather."
"You're not going to believe this," Wilson said. "They got to the point where the godfather said, 'I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse.' Just as soon as that line came on, my agent called and told me that Carolina wanted me back.
"I guess it was an offer I couldn't refuse."
Wilson rejoins the Panthers after being waived in the final roster cutdown on Sept. 4. He appeared in the first two preseason games, returning a fumble 31 yards for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens, but suffered the first concussion of his life versus the New York Jets and did not play again.
"I've never experienced that before in my life, but I'm ready to go now," Wilson said. "It was a blessing in disguise because it gave me a little time to recuperate – physically, mentally, spiritually."
In his fourth NFL season, Wilson was originally drafted in the seventh round by Carolina in 2007. He has played in 15 games and recorded 12 tackles and three passes defensed to go along with three special teams tackles.
Martin's season-ending injury continues a string of bad breaks, starting with the broken finger he suffered early in training camp that cost him a significant amount of practice time. Martin battled his way onto the roster, only to suffer a concussion while making a tackle on a punt in the first quarter of the regular season opener at the New York Giants.
