Getty Images Braxton Berrios of the New York Jets celebrates with Denzel Mims.
The Cleveland Browns could use some additional help at wide receiver and castoff New York Jets receiver Denzel Mims is a name the team is being urged to pursue.
The Browns passing game looked better last week but depth is still an issue. Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones have combined for 18 catches through two games but no other wide receiver has more than one catch.
The ground game led by Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt has disguised the Browns lack of quality depth but it will be an issue for the Browns going forward, especially with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback.
Mims is a former second-round pick of the Jets but has yet to see the field this season and isn’t happy about it. He was pitched by Bleacher Report as a trade option for the Browns as they look at options to beef up their wide receiver corps. Here’s what B/R’s Alex Ballentine had to say about a possible deal:
Anthony Schwartz and David Bell have yet to show they are going to step in as the No. 3 receiver. It might be time to look outside the organization, and Denzel Mims is an interesting prospect. He reportedly had a great training camp, but he’s stuck behind a fairly deep receiver room in New York that includes Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis and Elijah Moore.
The 6’3″ receiver asked for a trade this offseason, but the Jets haven’t acquiesced yet. It would behoove the Browns to give them a call.
Mims Has Made Frustrations Known Publicly
It’s no secret that Mims wants out of New York. As mentioned, he asked for a trade prior to the season but the Jets have decided to keep him around for the time being. He expressed his frustration after making the 53-man roster.
“I feel like, yeah, I feel like [the coaches] have made their mind up, honestly,” Mims said. “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 has just 31 catches and 490 yards to his name through two seasons. He did put a strong performance on tape in the preseason, notching seven catches for 102 yards and a touchdown. The Jets fielded offers for Mims but didn’t feel the value they would get back was high enough to pull the trigger on a deal.
“I wouldn’t say he wants to be somewhere else; he wants to play,” Jets general manager Joe Douglas said in August. “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.”
Amari Cooper Steps Up for Browns After Slow Week 1
The Browns reshaped their wide receiver room this offseason, trading for Amari Cooper to be the team’s top pass-catcher. After putting up just 17 yards in the opener, he looked like a true No. 1 against the Jets, snagging nine catches for 101 yards and a score.
“I think it was just the flow of the game,” Brissett said after the game when asked if there was a concerted effort to get the ball to Cooper more. “I thought he played well. Yeah, it was just more the flow of the game.”
The Browns’ passing game will have another chance to take a step forward against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the spotlight of Thursday Night Football.