Despite his trade request last week, wideout Denzel Mims remained on the Jets as teams set their 53-man rosters. Speaking with reporters today, Mims expressed frustration at his situation and reiterated his desire to start.
“I feel like I already pretty much [showed I could start], from OTAs until now,” Mims said (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini). “I mean, they’re pretty set on who they want.
“I feel like, yeah, I feel like [the coaches] have made their mind up, honestly. But I feel like I can change their mind on that. I feel like I’ve been doing that. Their minds are pretty made up, though.”
Mims also mentioned that he expects to be inactive for the Jets Week 1 contest against the Ravens, and he noted that he doesn’t have any issues playing special teams. However, the receiver made it clear that he wants to play, something that probably won’t be possible when he’s behind a deep wide receiver group of Corey Davis, Elijah Moore, Braxton Berrios, and rookie Garrett Wilson. Those frustrations have led the organization to surmise that Mims doesn’t necessarily want to play elsewhere.
“I wouldn’t say he wants to be somewhere else; he wants to play,” GM Joe Douglas said. “He wants to start. Denzel is very confident. He has voiced that, that he wants to be a starter. Ultimately, you want a team full of guys that feel like they should be the No. 1 guy.”
While the Jets didn’t end up trading the former second-round pick, they still fielded calls on the wideout. According to Connor Hughes of SNYtv (on Twitter), the Vikings, Cowboys, Seahawks, and Panthers were among the teams that reached out to the Jets. However, New York was seeking a fourth-round pick in return for the receiver, and no team was willing to meet that asking price.
4th round pick for Mims? This is why the Jets are the Jets. Nobody trades a 4th round pick for a guy you don’t think is in the top four of the WRs on your roster.
But they also don’t need to trade him. And it’s not like he’s failing to crack the top four receivers on the Bears. He’s behind last year’s promising second rounder and veteran free agent, this year’s tenth overall pick, and a high end returner who’s developed into a reliable role player as a receiver. I’m not saying some other team should pay through the nose for Mims, but he has nice upside for a fifth receiver, and it’s not like they *need* to dump him.
According to several Jet fans on here, he refuses to play special teams. If that’s true, that sends a message all over the league. Nobody wants that kind of headache.
Never seen any refusal to do it. It’s just not something he’s ever specialized in.
He was a healthy inactive several times last season because of that very reason.
They don’t need to trade him? If they aren’t going to play him, he is zero value to them; if they traded him, they would at least get some value. A fourth rounder is too high, however.
Davis missed eight games last year. Moore missed six. Odds are there’ll be opportunities for depth to see the field.
Vikings gave the Jets a 4 for TE Herdon last year (later let him go) so it’s possible.
As a 6”3 target they should use him more on the outside to complement their otherwise smaller set of receivers. He’s a nice big target.. give the guy a chance, he’s motivated.
Mims has a ton of talent but unfortunately for him, his first 2 years were injury plagued and set him back behind a talented core. Should an injury occur to a starter, he’s a great weapon to have chomping at the bit to play.
Jets are trying to build a culture and you can’t have someone whining to the press. Best thing the Jets can do is find someone to give them a 5th rounder, with the escalator of a 4th rounder based on his production with the new team. This seems to be the new normal and it works for both sides.
If Corey Davis gets injured again this season, doesn’t live up to his contract or the Jets need money to lock up other players, the Jets can cut him after 2022 and it would only be a $670k dead cap hit … and Mims can slide into a starting role in 2023. Joey D would be foolish to trade Mims for a bag of magic beans, or even worse a 7th round pick.