Getty Jets WR Denzel Mims played very well in his final preseason game.
New York Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims has asked for a trade amid a solid preseason.
Mims requested a trade publicly on August 24 through a statement released by his agent, Ron Slavin. “It’s just time,” the statement read. “Denzel tried in good faith but it’s clear he does not have a future with the Jets … We feel at this point, a trade is our only option, since the Jets have told us repeatedly they will not release him. [Jets general manager] 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.”
He’d certainly have a chance to be a contributor in Chicago. At least two analysts covering the team believe the Bears should throw their hat in the ring and try to add the third-year wideout.
Neither Byron Pringle nor N’Keal Harry has taken a snap in a preseason game, and after impressing in his first opportunity, catching a touchdown in Chicago’s 19-14 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, Tajae Sharpe went out with an injury and has yet to return.
Considering the team’s injuries at the position coupled with the kind of preseason Mims had, would it be worth it for the Bears to look into a trade?
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Mims Finished Preseason on Strong Note
Mims went off in the Jets’ third preseason game, a 31-27 victory over the New York Giants. The 6-foot-3, 207-pound receiver caught seven passes on eight targets for 102 yards and a touchdown. He finished with 12 catches for 170 yards and a score over three preseason contests, but he was showcased more in New York’s final preseason outing, likely to up his potential trade value.
“I’m hungry,” Mims said after his performance against the Giants, via the New York Post. “I just wanted to go out there and show everyone what I can do.”
Mims has yet to find the end zone over his first two years in the league, catching 31 passes for 490 yards (15.8 yards per catch) in 20 games and 11 starts. He had at least 55 receptions, 790 yards receiving and eight scores in each of his three seasons at Baylor, but he never became what the Jets hoped when they took him in the second round of the 2020 draft.
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Bears Urged to Look Into Possible Mims Trade
The Bears have already sent a 2024 seventh-rounder to the New England Patriots in exchange for Harry, who isn’t expected back until October after having lower leg surgery. Josh Schrock of NBC Sports thinks Chicago should offer a tad more to the Jets in exchange for Mims — maybe a Round 6 selection.
“Given the state of the Bears’ receiver room other than (WR1 Darnell) Mooney, Mims is exactly the type of player they should take a chance on,” Schrock wrote on August 27. “He’s 23 and under contract through next season. He’s a big-body receiver who could perhaps provide quarterback Justin Fields with a jump-ball threat in the red and gold zones. Just like Harry, Mims hasn’t lived up to his billing but the talent is there. Perhaps all Mims needs is a new opportunity.”
Will Bears GM Ryan Poles be the one to give it to him?
“The Bears shouldn’t surrender any meaningful draft capital in a trade for Mims,” Schrock added. “But the Baylor product is worth a flier if he can be had for a late Day 3 pick.”
Mims’ Trade Value Is Key
So, what’s Mims’ trade value? According to one Jets insider, the team isn’t looking to give him away — but it sounds as though there’s not a spot for him, so a sixth-rounder could possibly do it.
“Look, at the end of the day, there’s not a place for him, because in order to put Denzel Mims on the field, it means you’ve got to take Corey Davis, Garrett Wilson or Elijah Moore off and that’s just not going to happen,” Connor Hughes of SNYTV said on August 26.
“Not only does Mims want a trade, but from what I’m told by sources, the Jets are open to trading him — they’re looking into trading him — but the one thing they will not do is accept pennies on the dollar,” Hughes added. “They’re willing to trade Denzel Mims, but they’re only going to trade him if they get a deal they believe is going to be of equal value to Denzel Mims as a player.”
Peter Borkowski of SB Nation’s Windy City Gridiron agrees with Schrock, calling Mims an “interesting prospective pick-up and one that might prove beneficial in the future.”
Mims clearly wants a change of scenery, but would the Bears be the right team for him? That depends partly on how much Poles and company value their WR corps, which also includes rookie third-rounder Velus Jones and free agent acquisition Equanimeous St. Brown.
We’ll know soon enough whether Poles is interested, but if Mims can be had for a future pick in Round 6, it could be worth a shot. Anything more would be too risky.