Mims has had an uneven Jets career marred by injuries and poor effort
The next chapter in the saga of New York Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims appears imminent.
The 2020 second-round pick has officially requested a trade via his agent.
Statement from Ron Slavin, agent for #Jets WR Denzel Mims, asking for a trade or release for the 2020 second-round pick. Mims has 31 catches on 67 targets in 20 career games. pic.twitter.com/KhiI5LItF1
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 25, 2022
When the Jets drafted Mims with the No. 59 overall pick out of Baylor in 2020, he was a popular sleeper pick to become a star. Fans were hopeful that the franchise’s long history of second-round busts, especially on the offensive side of the ball, was coming to an end.
Injuries marred Mims’s rookie season. He missed the first seven games with multiple hamstring injuries. However, in nine games (eight starts), he put up 23 receptions for 357 yards. He flashed the big-play and contested-catch potential that made him such an enticing prospect.
However, the winds began to turn on Mims starting in the 2021 offseason. A bout of food poisoning led to significant weight loss. Already in training camp and preseason, Mims appeared to be in head coach Robert Saleh‘s doghouse. Whispers of his inflexibility with positions, inability to play special teams, and poor knowledge of the playbook abounded.
Mims’s second season was a real fall from grace. He posted just eight receptions for 133 yards in 11 games played. Even worse, he was called for five penalties in 279 offensive snaps, most of them showing an incredible lack of awareness. He also had two drops on only 23 targets.
This offseason, speculation has whirled about Mims getting traded or released. He has had an up-and-down camp and preseason, posting some nice catches but also dropping passes and getting called for penalties. He has not appeared to be working hard to make the roster, despite his agent’s protestations to the contrary.
It remains to be seen if Joe Douglas will accede to Mims’s request. Finding a trade partner may not be so easy after the horrid tape Mims put up last year. Furthermore, Douglas may not want to part with a former second-round pick without at least a somewhat decent return, which may be difficult to come by.
Since the Jets have insisted they are not releasing Mims, it’s likely that they will try to trade him. As with Sam Darnold in the 2020 offseason, it’s possible that another team bets on Mims’s talent and acquires him. It’s hard to imagine a return of anything more than a late-round pick, but stranger things (a la Chris Herndon and Blake Cashman) have happened.
It’s a shame that such a promising talent had to fall so precipitously. But in this “Not For Long” league, a lack of effort will doom even the most talented of players. (Just ask JaMarcus Russell.) Hopefully, Mims can resurrect his career elsewhere and the Jets can move on.
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It’s unfortunate that Douglas couldn’t have kept this situation from getting to this point. With Mims asking for a trade publicly it hurts our ability to negotiate a fair trade.
I was a big Mims supporter and had hoped it would work out, but it is time to cut bait. Get what we can and move on.
I don’t know what else Douglas could have done, really. It was pretty obvious the Jets weren’t going to give him the playing time he wants. If nothing else, Garrett Wilson needs looks, and Elijah Moore is still a young receiver.
I just meant working a trade quietly before he went public w/ a demand which diminishes our negotiating power; not giving him more snaps
Perhaps. I think Douglas was waiting until the final cuts, though.
I heard Alex Leatherwood is potentially on the block. What are your thoughts on a 1 for 1 swap on disappointing picks? Mims for Leatherwood
From what I understand, the Leatherwood talk was more speculation rather than based on any insider knowledge. The guy was pretty awful at both tackle and guard. Even someone who doesn’t hold much stock in Pro Football Focus would have to cringe at his 29.0 pass-blocking grade last season. He gave up 8 sacks and was called for 14 penalties. I don’t think it’s worth it for the Jets, and I don’t see Douglas doing that. I think it’s more likely that he tries to trade Mims for a pick rather than a player.
I know he wasn’t great, otherwise I wouldn’t think they’d take mims for him. The penalties are a huge issue, but a lot of players take time to develop and it’s only 1 year. Maybe better gamble than a conditional 6 or 7.
It’s a fair point. I’d rather trade him to Chicago for Teven Jenkins (though Chicago wouldn’t do that straight up). More upside. Also, I think Douglas might be able to do what he did with Herndon and get a slightly better pick.
Ya that’s a fair point too. Jenkins would be a better scheme fit and Douglas always seems to find the best fit.
I know Mims isn’t a high value asset but Jenkins’ back problems concern me. I wonder what Mims is worth? This is a classic case of WR drafted for a different offense not working out. Sprinkle in the Mims bad luck, seemingly poor attitude and we have the current situation. No use keeping him, this isn’t a matter of pride. If he’s not one of the best players and doesn’t fit the team culture then cut bait.
Oh, Jenkins’s back concerns me, too. He’s the Bears’ Becton. But I just meant if I were going to trade Mims for a lineman, I’d prefer Jenkins over Leatherwood.
I do think Mims would be the Jets’ best WR5, even now. But they don’t seem to think so, which means that they should trade him.
Read something about Leatherwood being a much better zone blocker than gap, which could be part of the problem in Vegas. They are a gap scheme team with McDaniels
He’s a decent run blocker, and yes, the Jets do run zone. But his pass blocking was so awful that gap or zone, it’s hard to imagine the Jets taking him at this point.
I stand corrected about Leatherwood. Saw the report that the Raiders will either trade or cut him.
Hello Rivka, I wanted to get your take on Cager maybe playing the WR position again. He’s been able to get open as a TE and he was a similar skill set to Mims. If not, Who do you think would make the team as the 5th WR?
I had the same thought. Apparently, Cager converted to TE only because he had a better chance at making the roster at that position than WR at the time. That’s not necessarily the case now. However, the Jets don’t appear to want to play him at receiver. Jeff Smith is the WR5 right now; he’s a Saleh favorite.