Proposed Cowboys Trade Brings ‘Ball-Snatching’ Jets WR to Dallas

Denzel Mims

Getty New York Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims makes a man miss after a catch.

The Dallas Cowboys are doing far better than expected considering their injury issues, but the team may still need to add reinforcements through a trade.

Michael Gallup has yet to play a regular-season snap as he recovers from an ACL tear this past January, and free agent addition James Washington is still on the injury reserve as well. In terms of receivers, Dallas has leaned on Noah Brown to go opposite of CeeDee Lamb.

For Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, that’s where a move for New York Jets receiver Denzel Mims materializes.

“The Cowboys might also want to take a flier on Mims,” Knox wrote. “They have yet to see the return of Michael Gallup, who suffered a torn ACL in 2021. They have also struggled to find an adequate replacement for the departed Amari Cooper.”

Brown has put up 213 receiving yards and a touchdown in his first three games, but the idea of landing a former second-round talent like Mims for great value is something worth considering for owner Jerry Jones and the Cowboys.


Talented Mims Struggles with Jets

When coming out of college, there was a lot to like about Mims. At Baylor, the now 24-year-old totaled 2901 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns in his final three seasons, and NFL.com called him a “ball-snatcher” with an “insane catch radius” in their draft profile in 2020.

However, Mims has not translated to the NFL as the Jets would hope. According to Pro Football Reference, the third-year receiver has played just 20 games over the past two years with just 31 receptions and 490 yards to show for it.

As Knox points out, there’s not much reason for optimism going forward: New York has a committed trio of starting receivers despite their struggles.

“Regardless of how the 1-2 Jets fare over the next few weeks, a trade of wideout Denzel Mims feels inevitable. He has yet to appear in a game this season, and the Jets have been able to lean on rookie first-round pick Garrett Wilson, Elijah Moore and Corey Davis instead,” Knox explained.

Mims not taking snaps this season adds to the concern, but the Cowboys may still want to consider a move if and when his price deteriorates.


What Cowboys Could Pay in Trade

Evidently, Dallas has already considered a move for Mims: SNY reporter Connor Hughes stated as much when the Jets were shopping the receiver around earlier in the offseason.

At the time, New York was reportedly asking for a fourth-round pick in exchange for Mims. That’s a brutal return for a second-round pick in 2020, but it’s clear the Jets are desperate to deal him.

The trade deadline is not until November 1, so the Jets have time to make a move. But it’s clear the market for Mims is minimal at best at the current price tag. If and when the Jets offer a “sale” on the receiver, the Cowboys could hop in.

A fifth or sixth-round pick for Mims would feel like great value: it’s a low-risk option for Dallas, but they could potentially access the talent teams saw at Baylor.