Getty Denver Broncos running back Melvin Gordon trying to make a play against the New York Jets defense.
We are moving through training camp and preseason for the other 30 NFL teams is right around the corner.
As we progress through the offseason, the rubber is eventually going to meet the road with roster cutdowns. One strategy some teams employ is utilizing the trade market ahead of time to swap players around.
One team that has been labeled someone to watch is the New York Jets who seem to be overflowing at a few positions that could intrigue other teams around the league.
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So You’re Saying There Is a Chance?
In Rich Cimini’s Sunday morning column for ESPN, he highlighted that the Jets have “solid depth” at wide receiver and could be a “popular team” in the preseason for trade conversations.
He then name-dropped two teams that “could be looking” after suffering injuries in their wide receiving corps: the Denver Broncos and the Dallas Cowboys.
The “obvious trade candidate” in those discussions would be wide receiver, Denzel Mims.
Cimini described him as a player who is having a “solid camp” but said he is batting “no better” than fifth or sixth in the order.
Last week we discussed what a potential trade could look like with the Cowboys. Now the Broncos have entered the chat after their starting wide receiver Tim Patrick went down with a brutal injury.
Broncos WR Tim Patrick suffered an ACL injury at practice today and will miss all of the 2022 season, per @mikeklis
Prayers up for a speedy recovery 🙏
It didn’t look good at the time of the injury and was later confirmed as a torn ACL. Patrick will miss the entire 2022 season before it ever got underway.
This creates another one of those desperate situations that general manager Joe Douglas can take full advantage of.
In theory, Mims could be flipped over to the Broncos who will have a pass-happy attack in 2022 with new franchise quarterback Russell Wilson.
It would give the former Baylor product a clearer path to playing time and the potential to change his football destiny in a new city.
In return, the Jets could garner a mid-round draft choice and get something for a player they might just cut anyway in a month.
So What Is Really Going on Here?
There were some rumors over the weekend that Mims was going to request a trade which would explain why his agent appeared at training camp.
However, Connor Hughes of SNY shut that chatter down over the weekend on Twitter:
Denzel Mims’ agent is visiting the #Jets today. He has not requested a trade, nor does he plan to request a trade, per sources.
Saw that out there. It’s not true.
While Mims didn’t ask for a trade and isn’t planning to, he might not have to for the team to move on from him. By all accounts, he is having a solid camp, but the numbers game is what it is.
Mims made his intentions very clear when he spoke to the media for the first time in camp, he fully plans on being a starting wide receiver, it is just up to the coaching staff to make it happen.
A fiery Denzel Mims (@Zel5Zelly) says his goal is to be a starting WR for the #Jets in 2022, ‘I show it everyday, so it’s up to them if they want to play me or not, but I show it everyday what I can do & I’m going to continue to do that’ 👀: 🎥 @nyjets #TakeFlight #JetsCamp
That is the right mentality to have and you love the fire, however, the path to that being a reality isn’t possible without a serious injury or two to guys in front of him on the depth chart.
Cimini provided this nugget at the end of his Mims subsection in his story:
“Mims said he’s worthy of a starting role, claiming, “I show it every day. It’s up to them if they play me or not.” Sounds like someone who might not be happy in a backup role.”
It would have been great to see Mims realize his full potential, but with so many new additions to the offense and specifically at wide receiver it just sounds like it won’t happen here in New York.
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Jets a ‘Popular Team’ to Make Broncos Trade: ‘Obvious Candidate’