Shortly after signing with the Texans as an undrafted free agent in April, former North Carolina wide receiver Dwight Jones declared himself “the steal of the draft” (even though he wasn’t drafted) and “the next Andre Johnson” (even though no one else was making that comparison). Then, a month later, Jones abruptly told the Texans he doesn’t want to be a professional football player.
So it’s no surprise that Jones didn’t report to training camp today. But the Texans, who put Jones on the reserve/did not report list, are still holding out hope that Jones will show up eventually, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM Radio.
There have been no indications from Jones that he ever intends to show up, but it doesn’t cost the Texans anything to get a look at him in training camp, so there’s no reason for the team not to leave the door open to him if he changes his mind. And although his comparisons of himself with Johnson are silly, he is a talented player: Jones entered college with a lot of fanfare as one of the nation’s top recruits and had a strong senior season last year, with 85 catches for 1,196 yards and 12 touchdowns.
If Jones ever decides he’s willing to dedicate himself to football, he’s good enough to make an NFL roster — and the Texans will remain willing to give him the chance to prove that if he’s not the next Andre Johnson, he can at least be one of Andre Johnson’s backups.