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Denzel Mims

Jaguars Cut WR Denzel Mims

August 25th, 2024 at 8:06am CST by Rory Parks

The Jaguars have cut wide receiver Denzel Mims, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Mims, who has accrued just three years of service time, will be placed on the waiver wire.

Now 26 (27 in October), Mims has always had tantalizing potential. Selected by the Jets in the second round of the 2020 draft, the Baylor product was never able to carve out a consistent role for himself with his original club, and he became a consistent presence in trade rumors not long after his tenure in New York began.

The Jets finally dealt Mims last July, sending him to the Lions in exchange for a minimal return. Unfortunately, Mims contended with multiple ailments in Detroit and was waived with an injury designation just one month after being acquired. He lingered on the open market until early October, when the Steelers scooped him up and added him to the taxi squad.

Although Pittsburgh certainly could have used some receiving help in 2023, the team never promoted Mims to the active roster during the course of the campaign. Apparently he showed enough in practice to stick around via a reserve/futures deal, but the Steelers sent him back to the waiver wire in June, shortly after minicamp ended.

The Jags then became the fourth team to take a flier on Mims, signing him shortly after Pittsburgh dismissed him. While Jacksonville lost Calvin Ridley in free agency, the team acquired Gabe Davis and Devin Duvernay and added Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round of this year’s draft. Mims caught just one pass for seven yards during the preseason slate, and he did not do enough in training camp to carve out a spot on the back end of the Jags’ WR depth chart.

Another team may well gamble on Mims’ upside; in an admittedly small sample size of 42 catches, he has posted a 16.1 yards-per-reception rate. However, as he searches for a fifth professional team, his opportunities to establish himself as a viable NFL receiver are dwindling.

Jaguars To Sign WR Denzel Mims

June 20th, 2024 at 8:47am CST by Adam La Rose

Denzel Mims has not needed to wait long to find a new home. Shortly after being waived by the Steelers, the journeyman wideout is set to sign with the Jaguars, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Mims had been in Pittsburgh since early in the 2023 campaign, and while he did not see any playing time there the Steelers retained him via a futures deal. That allowed the 26-year-old the opportunity to carve out a depth roster spot in the team’s revamped receiver room, one which no longer features Diontae Johnson or Allen Robinson. With Mims unable to do so, Pittsburgh moved on from him earlier this week.

The former second-rounder failed to live up to expectations during his time with the Jets. Across three seasons in New York, Mims made just 42 catches for 676 scoreless yards. A trade to the Lions last summer appeared to open the door to a fresh start in a new setting, but he was unable to make Detroit’s roster. That resulted in an injury settlement followed by a lengthy stay on the Steelers’ taxi squad.

Jacksonville lost Calvin Ridley in free agency despite a willingness shown to re-signing him this offseason. His departure was countered by the additions of Gabe Davis and Devin Duvernay, but it came as little surprise when another move was made at the position during the draft. The Jaguars selected Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round, and he is in line to occupy a notable role as a rookie alongside Christian Kirk.

Mims will now spend training camp aiming to earn a depth spot in Duval County. With a 16.1 yards per catch average, the Baylor alum could try to establish himself as a vertical threat, although Davis and Thomas have a similar skillset in that regard. In any event, the Jags will have another option to consider during training camp and the preseason with respect to filling out their receiver room.

Steelers To Waive WR Denzel Mims

June 18th, 2024 at 1:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

After residing on the trade block for multiple seasons, Denzel Mims eventually made his way to Pittsburgh after his initial 2023 relocation — from New York to Detroit — did not pan out. The Steelers are now moving on from the former second-round pick.

Adding Mims to their practice squad in early October, the Steelers rostered the 2020 draftee for the season’s remainder and gave him a reserve/futures deal in January. Eight-plus months after Mims’ Pennsylvania arrival, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo notes the Steelers are moving on. The team will waive the fifth-year veteran Tuesday.

The Steelers had given Mims another developmental opportunity of sorts, not elevating him from their P-squad for any games last season. Mims then received a mid-January invitation to stick around for the 2024 offseason. While the Steelers have some major questions at wide receiver beyond George Pickens, they appear to have determined Mims will not be part of the post-Diontae Johnson solution.

In addition to the Johnson trade, the Steelers released the underperforming Allen Robinson earlier this offseason. The team did not add a surefire starter in free agency, with Quez Watkins and Van Jefferson coming closest to matching that description, but did use a third-round pick on Washington’s Roman Wilson. The Steelers’ extensive track record for developing Day 2 wide receiver draftees speaks for itself, but if Wilson is not ready to go early, the team has some questions alongside Pickens.

Mims, 26, was unlikely to be a major factor in Pittsburgh’s effort to assemble a new batch of Pickens complements. He could not land a regular role with the Jets and continued to wind up in trade rumors. Mims did amass 357 receiving yards as a rookie, but his 2021 and ’22 seasons did not combine to match that total. After the Jets dealt the Baylor product to the Lions in a pick-swap deal involving 2025 sixth- and seventh-rounders, the sixth the Jets were to receive did not end up conveying due to Mims failing to make Detroit’s active roster. The Lions reached an injury settlement with Mims after placing him on IR in August, paving his way to Pittsburgh.

Two of the Steelers’ WR candidates — Jefferson and Scotty Miller — followed new OC Arthur Smith from Atlanta, while Mims arrived during Matt Canada‘s final days with the club. The Steelers gave Mims the futures deal before hiring Smith. Mims is obviously running out of chances, though it would not be shocking if the 6-foot-3 target secured a chance with another team before or during training camp.

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/17/24

January 17th, 2024 at 9:05pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s reserve/futures contracts:

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

Pittsburgh Steelers

Bryant joined the Cowboys in November, and though he didn’t appear in any games, Bryant left a good impression in Dallas after several weeks on the practice squad. He was released late in the season as the team shuffled the roster a bit but makes his return to Dallas for the offseason.

Steelers To Add WR Denzel Mims

October 3rd, 2023 at 1:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Known for developing Day 2 receiver draftees, the Steelers will take a flier on a former second-round pick whose stock has dropped in the years since his NFL arrival. Denzel Mims is joining the team on a practice squad deal, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

This will be Mims’ third NFL team and third this year. A trade-rumor mainstay with the Jets, Mims was finally dealt this summer, landing with the Lions. The 6-foot-4 pass catcher struggled to make an impression in Detroit, and an ankle injury led to the team waiving him with an injury designation. The Lions cut Mims from IR with an injury settlement.

Mims is believed to be healthy now, per Garafolo. He will attempt to kickstart his career with a team that has a strong track record for receiver development. Of course, the Baylor product has produced three unremarkable seasons and saw the Jets overhaul their receiving corps this offseason. Nevertheless, a Steelers squad missing Diontae Johnson will kick the tires here.

The Jets traded Mims to the Lions in a conditional pick-swap deal in July. Detroit did not need to send over a pick, however, since the trade was conditional upon Mims making the Lions’ 53-man roster. With Mims being waived nearly two weeks before roster-cutdown day, the swap essentially amounted to a free trial for the Lions. While Mims landed on season-ending IR, he was always an injury-settlement candidate. Players who receive settlements and are moved off IR lists are eligible to play that season at a later date.

Going off the 2020 draft board 59th overall, Mims totaled 23 receptions for 357 yards as a rookie. He has not exceeded 200 yards in a season since. Trade rumors engulfed Mims for most of his Jets time, but he continued to remain a Gang Green backup during the team’s Zach Wilson period. After Mims requested a trade before the 2022 season, the Jets discussed him with teams. It was not until a last-call-type situation in which Mims was finally moved this year.

Johnson resides on the Steelers’ IR list due to a hamstring ailment; he cannot return until Week 6. The Steelers have Calvin Austin and Miles Boykin, a former Ravens third-round pick the team added via waivers last year, in place as backup wideouts. Special-teamer Gunner Olszewski is also on Pittsburgh’s active roster behind starters George Pickens and Allen Robinson.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/24/23

August 24th, 2023 at 8:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Commanders

The Lions made a minor trade for Mims earlier this month, ending the former second-round pick’s unremarkable Jets tenure. But Mims struggled to catch on in Detroit as well. The Baylor alum is now headed toward free agency, should no one claim him. The Lions waived Mims with an injury designation, due to the fourth-year wideout encountering multiple ailments.

Parker landed on IR earlier this month. The Raiders will cut their former third-round pick loose. Depending on the terms of the settlement, Parker could return to the Raiders later this year. The sixth-year veteran could also land elsewhere, as this transaction will move him off Las Vegas’ IR. But the 32-game Raiders starter missed all of last season due to injury and moved out of the right tackle competition via injury once again this year.

The Eagles have circled back to Johnson quickly. After cutting the fifth-year veteran Wednesday, the defending NFC champions have him back in the fold on a two-year contract. The 26-year-old lineman had recently been promoted to second-team left tackle. Johnson started eight games for the Bengals from 2019-21.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/19/23

August 19th, 2023 at 8:06pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

  • Reverted to IR: CB Jordan Swann

Detroit Lions

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

  • Signed: DL La’Darius Hamilton, DL Tomasi Laulile
  • Waived: RB Khalan Lanorn
  • Placed on IR: DE Taco Charlton

Seattle Seahawks

Charlton signed with the 49ers earlier this month, but he will not see time with them this season. Being placed on IR means he will be sidelined until 2024, which could lead to yet another new opportunity being needed for the former first-rounder to continue his career. Charlton has played 60 games (with 13 starts) during his time in the NFL, including five appearances with the Bears last year. San Francisco will likely now look elsewhere for depth options on the edge.

Lions Waive WR Denzel Mims

August 18th, 2023 at 9:39am CST by Adam La Rose

Denzel Mims‘ time in Detroit has come to an end rather quickly. The former Jets wideout has been dealing with multiple ailments and will be waived with an injury designation, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). The move is now official.

The former second-round pick was traded from the Jets to the Lions last month in a move aimed at giving him a fresh start and providing Detroit with low-cost receiver depth. The Day 3 picks swapped in that trade were conditional on Mims making the Lions’ 53-man roster. Since that will not be happening, both teams will retain their respective selections.

Mims entered the NFL with considerable expectations after posting two 1,000-yard seasons in college. He flashed potential as a deep threat during his rookie season, averaging 15.5 yards per catch on 23 receptions. The Baylor product saw his playing time cut dramatically after that, however, and his production over the past two seasons left him on the roster bubble.

New York’s preference was to find a trade partner for Mims rather than waiving him themselves, but he will now find himself on the open market nevertheless. Rapoport notes that the 25-year-old suffered a calf injury while rehabbing an ankle injury picked up earlier in training camp. Today’s news thus comes as little surprise, and the Lions will move forward with a receiving corps which will be without Jameson Williams for the rest of the summer after the latter encountered a hamstring issue.

To fill the roster spot opened up by Mims’ departure, the Lions are signing Jason Moore, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 (Twitter link). The former UDFA has made 20 career appearances in the NFL, all with the Chargers. Unlike Mims, Moore has a background on special teams, something which could help the latter in his bid to earn a 53-man roster spot. The former, meanwhile, will turn his attention to recovery and seek out another new opportunity when healthy.

Jets Trading WR Denzel Mims To Lions

July 20th, 2023 at 8:55am CST by Ely Allen

JULY 20: NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the pick swap is conditional on Mims making the Lions’ 53-man roster. As a result, the deal is essentially a short-term free trial for the Lions as they look to finalize their WR depth chart in the coming weeks. A strong performance in camp and the preseason will go a long way in determining the former second-rounder’s fate as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.

JULY 19: The Jets have successfully found a trade partner for wide receiver Denzel Mims, according to a report coming initially from Connor Hughes of SNY.

Despite earlier rumors that the team was near waiving the former second-round pick, New York was able to get a return on Mims’s departure, netting a conditional sixth-round pick for Mims and a 2025 seventh-round pick, as confirmed by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The Jets had already made it known that they were planning to move on from the three-year receiver. They went as far as to excuse Mims from reporting to training camp, feeding trade rumors that have been consistent over the past two offseasons. Mims has failed to live up to his draft slot, totaling 42 catches for 676 yards and no touchdowns in his first three years combined. There were reportedly some hints of interest coming from Dallas in Mims’s home state, but ultimately, Mims will remain in the north.

The loss won’t affect the Jets’ depth chart, as they already were planning a roster without him. The team will move forward as planned with Garrett Wilson being joined by newcomers Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman as targets for new quarterback Aaron Rodgers with Corey Davis and Randall Cobb contributing, as well.

In Detroit, the Lions will hope to see Mims make an impact on the two-deep. The team had been betting on a big step forward in Year 2 of Jameson Williams‘s career, but a six-game suspension will limit Williams’s impact early. Instead, Detroit will rely on a familiar trio of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds, and Kalif Raymond with Marvin Jones returning to Motown to likely see starting reps in 2023.

During the absence of WIlliams, Mims should have an opportunity to make a strong case for his role in the offense. If he can establish an early rapport with quarterback Jared Goff, the Lions could have another wideout to add to an already quality group.

Jets Seeking Denzel Mims Trade Partner

July 19th, 2023 at 4:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

4:47pm: The Mims-Jets saga persists. The team has not waived the fourth-year receiver yet, keeping open the possibility of a trade. The Cowboys previously discussed the Dangerfield, Texas, native with the Jets, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets, noting the talks were exploratory in nature.

11:07am: Another summer of Denzel Mims trade rumors is upon us, but the team does not sound like it intends to keep the former second-round pick if no deal materializes this time around.

The Jets are looking for a trade partner for Mims, per the New York Post’s Brian Costello, who adds the fourth-year receiver will be cut if no trade takes place. This looks to be a last-call announcement from the Jets, with Costello adding they plan to part ways with Mims on Wednesday.

The team excused Mims from reporting to training camp today, providing further indicating a long-rumored separation will take place soon. The 6-foot-3 pass catcher has been in trade rumors since 2021, when buzz about his roster spot began to emerge. Despite the steady rumors about Mims being a departure candidate, the Jets kept him throughout the past two seasons.

Chosen 59th overall in 2020, Mims has not delivered on his draft slot. And the Jets have remade their receiving corps this offseason. New York traded Elijah Moore and released Braxton Berrios, doing so during an offseason that saw Mecole Hardman, Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb sign as free agents. Corey Davis remains on the Jets’ roster, but the team is eyeing a pay cut. A Mims departure comes after years of trade rumblings.

Mims, 25, became a trade topic ahead of the 2021 trade deadline and before last season. He requested to be moved in August 2022, and the Jets engaged in more trade talks following that ask. The Cowboys, Panthers, Seahawks and Vikings are believed to have reached out last year, but with the Jets wanting at least a fourth-round pick in return, no deal commenced. Much has changed in Carolina since the then-Matt Rhule-led team called the Jets on Mims as well. It will almost certainly not take a fourth-rounder to acquire Mims today, but if a team lower on the waiver priority list wants to take a flier, the Jets might be able to fetch a late-round pick for the ex-Baylor cog. Some optimism exists this will end in a trade, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets.

During Sam Darnold‘s final season in New York (2020), Mims caught 23 passes for 357 yards. The Zach Wilson–Mike White–Joe Flacco seasons did not lead to an improvement from the young wide receiver, who combined for just 19 receptions over the past two seasons. One season, at a $1.35MM base salary, remains on Mims’ rookie contract. The Jets would pick up that $1.35MM in cap savings by waiving Mims.

While still looking for his first NFL touchdown, Mims totaled 28 while in college during a career that included two 1,000-yard seasons. He followed that up with a 4.38-second 40-yard dash clocking at the 2020 Combine. It seems he will have a chance at a fresh start soon.

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