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What will they do with this talented player?
Talking about Denzel Mims.
Can you believe he is already entering his fourth season?
I didn’t see him at the handful of practices open to the media in the spring
He clearly wants out.
On August 25, 2022, his agent Ron Slavin issued a statement requesting a trade for his client:
“It’s just time. Denzel tried in good faith but it’s clear he does not have a future with the Jets,” Slavin said. “Denzel vowed to come back better then ever this season and worked extremely hard in the offseason to make that happen. Still, he has been given no opportunities with the starting offense to get in a groove with them.
“We feel at this point a trade is our only option, since the Jets have told us repeatedly they will not release him. Joe Douglas has always done right by Denzel and we trust he will do everything in his power to find another team where Denzel can be a contributor.”
Obviously, it didn’t happen in 2022, but perhaps it will happen this summer.
He’s entering the last year of his rookie contract, so maybe it’s best to get something for him now, than nothing after the season.
If he was buried on the depth chart last year, he might be buried even more now.
The Jets #1 receiver is Garrett Wilson, and then you have free agent additions Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Mecole Hardman, veteran Corey Davis and there were some young guys who caught the attention of Aaron Rodgers in the OTAs.
“I would say 16 (Jason Brownlee)Â and 82 (Xavier Gipson) really had nice camps as rookies and there were a lot of other guys that flashed, the older guys,” Rodgers said after the last OTA practice. “I thought Irv (Irvin Charles) had a really nice day today, which was nice to see because he works so hard. But it will be exciting to get Randall (Cobb) back and Mecole (Hardman) back.”
Brownlee and Gipson are undrafted free agents, and Charles is a jumbo receiver who was on the practice squad last year.
So the room is pretty stacked.
In defense of Mims, he hasn’t been dealt the best hand. He will now be in his third different offense. In his first year, he was in Adam Gase’s system, and then Mike LaFleur’s and now Nate Hackett’s.
That is awful for the development of young receivers, especially one who came from a very simple playbook with a limited route tree at Baylor.
To Mims’ credit, after his agent requested the trade, which obviously didn’t happen, he was a good soldier all season, never complaining. He played sparingly.
The Jets did try to trade him, but refused to accept the lowball offers they were getting for this former second-round pick.
They might hold on to him early in camp to protect themselves in case of injuries, but this could be the summer they move on if they can get a middle-round pick.
The Los Angeles Rams could be a perfect trade partner. They need more talent, and Mike LaFleur now works there, so Mims could get integrated quickly.
June 28, 2023
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