Getty New York Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims making some plays in the preseason versus the New York Giants.
Another opportunity straight down the drain.
The New York Jets have been dealing with a myriad of injuries, most recently to their wide receiving corps.
Their top two wide receivers are on the shelf. Corey Davis is out for the season after undergoing core muscle surgery and talented rookie Elijah Moore is dealing with a quad and was placed on injured reserve.
When injuries occur, NFL coaches will trot out the overused football cliche, it’s a next-man-up mentality.
Unfortunately, Jets fans have found out that it isn’t that simple.
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Jets Insider Predicts Denzel Mims-Panthers Trade
To put it lightly, things haven’t gone according to plan this year for wide receiver Denzel Mims.
He has dealt with a variety of issues both on and off the football field that has made it difficult for him to make an impact. Despite all of those trials and tribulations, he had a golden opportunity to make everything right in the final five games of the season.
Well over the last two games Mims has provided a goose egg with zero receptions. He even briefly left the latest game against the Miami Dolphins due to “cramping”, but Mims eventually did return, although you wouldn’t know that based on the invisible box score.
WR Denzel Mims (cramping) is questionable to return #NYJvsMIA
This latest flop has led many to speculate about his future with the team including ESPN insider Rich Cimini:
“Prediction: the team will send him to the Carolina Panthers during the 2022 NFL draft, reuniting him with former college coach Matt Rhule. The Panthers were interested in him before the NFL trade deadline.”
Less Than Ideal Value
General manager Joe Douglas has made a name for himself on the trade market during his tenure with the Jets.
He has consistently gotten the most bang for his buck when he deals away players to other NFL teams. Some of his best work has included Sam Darnold, Chris Herndon, Jamal Adams, and Daniel Brown.
Despite that, it seems hard to believe he will be able to acquire anything of significant value if he deals Mims away this offseason.
In two years the former Baylor product has 31 receptions for 490 receiving yards and has yet to score a touchdown in his professional career.
While there have been moments of brilliance the majority of his career thus far has been mired in mediocrity.
Although if we were putting together Douglas’ pitch to other teams, there are a few things to like:
- Youth (24 years old)
- Traits: 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, and ran a 4.39 40-yard dash
On top of that, he still has two more cheap years left on his rookie contract for just under $2.5 million in base salary.
There were several teams interested in his services prior to this year’s NFL trade deadline, including the Panthers. All it takes is one team and someone is going to convince themselves they can fix Mims in a more stable environment.
One way or another it seems extremely unlikely that Mims will be on the Jets’ roster in 2022 after his most recent struggles.
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