Getty New York Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims making a move during an NFL game.
The New York Jets might not be cutting Denzel Mims after all.
In the wise words of Lee Corso, “Not so fast, my friend.”
Despite an earlier report from Brian Costello of the New York Post that the Jets planned on cutting Mims, the team has had a change of heart.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport said the Jets did not release Mims on Wednesday, July 19, and have kept the door open for a potential trade.
The #Jets did not release WR Denzel Mims today, despite informing him of their plans. This keeps open the possibility of a trade.
A pair of teams have emerged from the pack according to our very own Heavy NFL Insider Matt Lombardo in potential trade chatter:
- New England Patriots
- Pittsburgh Steelers
Two teams that are in the mix on Denzel Mims are the #Steelers and #Patriots, according to league sources. | @HeavyOnSports
Jets and Patriots Have Executed Trades in the Past
On the surface, a potential Jets-Patriots trade seems wild.
The two teams have been bitter rivals for a long time and have a storied history. However general manager Joe Douglas and Bill Belichick have broken bread in the past.
Back on September 11 of 2019 the Jets and Patriots made a deal.
New England sent veteran wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to New York in exchange for a 2021 sixth-rounder.
That was the first time that Belichick had ever made a trade with his old team the Jets. The pair of squads also made a draft day trade for picks back in April.
If you have done it before, it can definitely happen again.
Christopher Price of the Boston Globe confirmed that the Patriots “have shown interest” in Mims.
Per a league source, the Patriots are among the team who have shown interest in WR Denzel Mims. @MattLombardoNFL first on it.
Another Team to Keep an Eye out on, Jets Potential Trade Regret
NFL Insider Josina Anderson of CBS Sports revealed that the Jets have had prior “exploratory talks” with the Dallas Cowboys about a possible Mims trade.
The other team that Lombardo mentioned, the Steelers, is a team Anderson agrees makes sense as a potential fit.
“[Mims’] former WR coach and PGC at Baylor, Frisman Jackson, is now the WRs coach [with the] Steelers – another team [that has been] mentioned.”
Mims requested a trade last offseason but the Jets didn’t budge. According to Connor Hughes of SNY, Douglas’ “asking price was a 4th round pick.”
Hughes said four teams expressed interest:
- Minnesota Vikings
- Dallas Cowboys
- Seattle Seahawks
- Carolina Panthers
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic said, “In retrospect, it’s clear GM Joe Douglas should’ve just taken whatever was offered for Mims last offseason instead of holding out for a quality draft pick.”
Mims and the current coaching staff never seemed to mesh over the last two years.
Rivka Boord of Jets X-Factor told me on “The Boy Green Show” on Wednesday, July 19 that this was a move that was “two years in the making.”
She said the plan to move on from him “isn’t surprising” but perhaps the decision to do it at the beginning of training camp raised an eyebrow.
Rich Cimini of ESPN said the team viewed Mims as a “fifth or six receiver on the depth chart” and his lack of special teams prowess is something that minimized his value “in the eyes of the team.”
So instead of delaying the inevitable, the Jets have decided to rip the band-aid off and move in a different direction early in the offseason.