Denzel Mims: 5 potential landing spots if Jets part ways with WR
New York Jets wideout Denzel Mims just had the best day of his NFL career. That it came in the preseason finale of his third season speaks volumes about how the previous two years have gone.
The performance could also be his last, or most significant, with the Jets, who drafted Mims in the second round two years ago. On Thursday, Mims requested a trade via his agent Ron Slavin.
“It’s just time. Denzel tried in good faith but it’s clear he does not have a future with the Jets,” Slavin said in a statement. “Denzel vowed to come back better than ever this season and worked extremely hard in the offseason to make that happen. Still, he has been given no opportunities with the starting offense to get in a groove with them.
“We feel at this point a trade is our only option, since the Jets have told us repeatedly they will not release him. Joe Douglas has always done right by Denzel and we trust he will do everything in his power to find another team where Denzel can be a contributor.”
Ironically, Mims broke out Sunday versus the Giants, tallying game highs of seven receptions and 102 receiving yards. He capped the afternoon with a closely-contested, diving touchdown grab from 29 yards out that exhibited the exact talents New York’s previous regime coveted in the 6-foot-3, 207-pound wideout upon coming out of Baylor.
It also marked the first TD of Mims’ pro career. Jets coach Robert Saleh said questions on whether Mims will remain with the team should be directed to general manager Joe Douglas.
“He’s one of our six best receivers and he’s going to be here, as far as I’m concerned,” Saleh told reporters.
Mims didn’t elaborate on his trade request after the game but intimated he might not have the strongest relationship with the Jets’ coaching staff.
“It is what it is,” he said. “It’s my coaches. I have nothing but respect for them.”
A resolution to the saga could come soon, as rosters must be cut down to 53 players by Tuesday. Mims’ strong showing also makes him a more attractive trade piece, though he would likely net little more than a late-round pick. He has just 31 receptions for 490 yards over 20 games (11 starts) since being selected No. 59 overall in the 2020 draft.
If the Jets do decide to part ways with Mims, here are five good landing spots for the 24-year-old receiver.
Matt Rhule hasn’t been shy about acquiring his former players at Baylor and Temple. He also is seemingly on the hot seat after two subpar seasons in Carolina. Mims might be a player he can trust after eclipsing 1,000 yards twice and hauling in 28 TDs over their three shared seasons at Baylor. The Panthers also don’t boast the most reliable receiving corps, with the speedy DJ Moore forced to play virtually every down while lining up all over the place. The big-bodied Mims would conceivably complement Moore well, particularly in the red zone.
Count a true X receiver among the rebuilding franchise’s many, many needs. The Bears are asking a lot of the productive but smallish Darnell Mooney, who will surely be bracketed a fair amount now that Allen Robinson is with the Rams. It’s been confounding to see new GM Ryan Pace essentially punt on replacing A-Rob and leave second-year QB Justin Fields with so little to work with. Byron Pringle is coming off a nice season in Kansas City (42-568-5). He’s also a first-time starter at 28 years old. Chicago, of course, recently traded for a prospect similar to Mims in N’Keal Harry. But with the former first-rounder out until November after undergoing ankle surgery, Mims could probably step into the rotation immediately.
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It would be a low-risk move for a club that will be light at receiver to open the season. Michael Gallup is still on the PUP list, though owner Jerry Jones said the fifth-year wideout will come off by cutdown day. Either way, Gallup isn’t expected to be available for Week 1 as finishes rehabbing his torn ACL. James Washington’s broken foot will keep him out of multiple games. Projected interim starter Jalen Tolbert has been a big disappointment in the preseason.
Trading for Mims isn’t the type of move this front office typically makes. But if he were available on the waiver wire, Green Bay adding him to a largely unproven, inexperienced receiving corps that has struggled this preseason makes a lot of sense. Mims is, in theory, an ideal fit for Matt LaFleur’s offense, what with his combination of size, speed and ball skills on downfield passes. Moreover, rookie Christian Watson has had a rough preseason. No one can step in and be a proxy for Davante Adams, but Mims would at least give Aaron Rodgers another talented target to possibly strike gold with.
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Two weeks out from the season opener, serious questions remain at wide receiver on Mike Vrabel’s depth chart. Will Robert Woods be healthy enough to be a true No. 1 option? Is 2022 first-round rookie Treylon Burks a bigger project than anticipated? Is Nick Westbrook-Ikhine a legit starter? The Titans sending away budding star A.J. Brown still seems puzzling. But this is an organization that has made the playoffs three consecutive years while proving to be unexpectedly aggressive with trades. Mims’ skill set also meshes with Tennessee’s run-heavy, play-action attack.
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