Getty New York Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims making defenders miss in the open field after catching a pass in an NFL game.
The NFL trade deadline came and went and the New York Jets were involved in a few moves, but not the ones many people expected.
The most popular armchair analyst take was that the green and white should blow up their wide receiver room and sell some pieces to the top contenders in the league.
Apparently, the Jets didn’t take the outside noise very seriously because they did exactly the opposite.
ALL the latest Jets news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Jets newsletter here!
Heck No You Can’t Have Any of That
General manager Joe Douglas has made a lot of headlines for his stance that he will always pick up the phone if someone calls about a trade. There have been rare exceptions during his short stay as the head honcho where that isn’t the case.
One player that has been a polarizing subject on 1 Jets Drive is second-year wideout, Denzel Mims.
He has gone through a lot of trials and tribulations during this calendar year that has minimized his playing time. With so much obvious talent and a cheap contract for the next few years, several NFL teams came calling on Tuesday, November 2 to see if they could pry Mims free.
According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, when those calls came, they were very quick. Whenever a team called and asked about Mims, “the answer from the Jets has been a consistent, no.”
After Jets’ Twitter heard that, they erupted on social media:
Well Mike, if Mims got that “tuddie” for you, it would be the first one of his NFL career. The second-year wideout had a chance for one on Sunday vs the Cincinnati Bengals but slipped and let the football hit him in the chest.
@jetsxfactor As well they should. Every team needs a deep threat, and he certainly is that. Once OC finds how to fit Mims in, you’ll see him blossom.
A deep vertical threat is one way the Jets should be using him. Mims ran a 4.3 at his Pro Day and with his size (6-foot-3, 215 pounds), he could be a dynamic weapon, if the green and white used him properly.
In every sense of the word, he passes the sniff test: young, athletic, fast, and a huge frame. Now it’s up to the coaching staff to make him a focal point of this offense.
Not only did they turn away trade calls on Mims, but they stuck with the group as a whole. When asked for an explanation in his post-NFL trade deadline presser, Jets GM Joe Douglas dropped some cold hard facts:
“I really love this wide receiver room. I felt like this past offseason that was a key for us (improving the group as a whole). Especially when you consider the unique skill set that each of them possesses. I think the depth in this room is good to see and we do want to keep weapons for this quarterback.”
#Jets GM Joe Douglas explained why he didn’t trade any of his receivers at the #NFL trade deadline, ‘I love this WR room.’ He said it was an emphasis this past offseason to increase depth & versatility & they want to keep that + ‘we want to keep weapons for this QB’: #TakeFlight
It’s funny in the offseason everyone begged for the Jets to improve the wide receiver room, they finally do it, and now fast forward a few months later and now everyone wants the team to trade it away. Go figure.
More Reason for Optimism and Excitement
If Twitter lost their mind about the Jets rejecting trade calls for their second-year wide receiver, then I can only imagine their response when general manager Joe Douglas stepped up to the podium and discussed the former Baylor product:
“I feel like once he got back after the stomach illness all you have seen is growth and that’s a credit to him and the work ethic he has put in. Just like Mike White, he has done a lot of that in the shadows where no one can really see except the people inside this building. Mims has earned the right to get more playing time and he is going to continue to earn the right because he has handled himself like a pro.”
#Jets GM Joe Douglas says he has been impressed w/ WR Denzel Mims (@Zel5Zelly) who has grown & done all the right things ‘in the shadows’ + ‘he has earned the right to get more playing time b/c he has handled himself like a pro’: #TakeFlight #NYJvsIND #NFL
After being a relative non-factor when he played and in other contests being a healthy scratch, Mims has steadily increased his reps.
Over the last two games, Mims has played 79 offensive snaps and that number is only going to continue to increase.
This is fantastic news for Jets fans across the country who have been begging the coaching staff to implement him more into the game plan. With another 10 games left in the 2021 season, the ceiling is the roof for Mims’ potential.
Follow @BoyGreen25 & @obermuller_nyj on Twitter for all the latest New York Jets breaking news, rumors, fresh takes and more!
READ NEXT: Jets Acquire Super Bowl Winning-Lineman at NFL Trade Deadline: Report