HOUSTON -- Upon entering a media scrum on his first day of voluntary offseason conditioning, Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins appeared to have his mind set on this: He was not going to entertain questions about Andre Johnson.
Hopkins offered a polite "no comment" to two questions about the former Texans receiver, and Hopkins' former mentor. After his session finished, he apologized for not wanting to go there.
Johnson's departure will loom over the Texans this season, especially for the one remaining starting receiver from last year's team. Hopkins is entering his third NFL season with a new shading to his role, and one he's prepared to embrace.
As he sees it, his performance will depend on how he improves in a few areas.
"This offense is an offense that challenges you to be a player, a student of the game, and put in a lot of work in the offseason," Hopkins said. "Normally, some offenses you feel like it’s easy and you get complacent. This offense is always mind-boggling and always throwing a lot of things at you. Becoming more of a student of the game is something I want to work on. Learning coverages of defenses and trying to be the best receiver I can be out there."
The Texans' receiver room looks different this season because of Johnson's departure.
The team added Nate Washington and Cecil Shorts III in free agency, both of whom are older than Hopkins but are coming into a new system. The Texans' receiving crops also includes EZ Nwachukwu, Travis Labhart, Alan Bonner and Jace Davis. They'll likely add a receiver in the draft, too, somewhere in the first two days.
On the field, Hopkins increasingly became the focus of opposing defenses last season as he notched his first 1,000-yard NFL season. Hopkins said Monday he embraces that.
"I just like the pressure because I know I'm going to perform," he said.
