Tag: Denzel Mims

49ers should kick tires on Jets 2nd-round WR Denzel Mims

The Jets are set to waive WR Denzel Mims. The #49ers should kick tires on him if he hits free agency.

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It appears the Jets and wide receiver Denzel Mims are headed for a split. The New York Post on Wednesday reported the team will waive the former second-round pick if they can’t find a last-minute trade partner. While the 49ers may not get involved in a trade or on the waiver wire, they could be players for Mims if he hits unrestricted free agency.

The first three years of Mims’ career have been largely disappointing. He went No. 59 overall in the 2020 draft after a good college career at Baylor and some tremendous numbers in his pre-draft testing. At 6-3, 207 pounds he ripped off a 4.38-second 40-yard dash with a 131-inch broad jump and a 6.66-second three-cone. All of those marks are 90th percentile and above among WRs.

Size and athleticism are present in spades for Mims who hasn’t jelled with the new coaching staff that arrived the year after he was drafted. He has just 42 catches for 676 yards and no touchdowns in 30 games in his career.

A change of scenery may help him some, and the 49ers provide an opportunity for him to compete for a roster spot where he could have a legitimate role in the offense.

Mims is something of a one-trick pony with his speed and contested catch prowess, but it’s not out of the question that he could come in and fill the role the team expected Danny Gray to fill when they selected him in the third round of the 2022 draft. Gray struggled in his rookie year and isn’t a shoo-in for a roster spot this year. Bringing in Mims to compete with Gray could be beneficial for both players, which would ultimately help the 49ers in finding the vertical threat their offense is lacking.

There’s always the chance Mims doesn’t work out and winds up not making the roster, but his skill set at 25-years old is intriguing enough to bring in if he clears waivers. And if he does pan out he would add a much-needed wrinkle for San Francisco.

Update:

The Jets and Lions have agreed to a trade that will send the receiver to Detroit.

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Jets to cut Denzel Mims if they can’t find trade partner

Jets moving on from Mims

The Jets plan on moving on from wide receiver Denzel Mims if they cannot find a trade partner, per Brian Costello of the New York Post.

The team told Mims of their plans and excused him from reporting to camp. The team is reporting to camp Wednesday and will begin practice Thursday.

With all the additions at the wide receiver position this offseason, Mims was squarely on the roster bubble and was more likely than not to fall short of making the final roster. This will at least him a chance at a fresh start, similar to Elijah Moore, who was traded to the Browns earlier this year.

Mims’ release opens the door for a receiver such as undrafted free agent Jason Brownlee to crack the 53 as the No. 6 receiver behind Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman, Randall Cobb and Corey Davis (assuming the Jets keep Davis).

In three years and 30 games with the Jets, Mims caught 42 passes for 676 yards. He was inactive to start the season following his trade request last offseason. Injuries at the position pushed him back onto the gameday roster.

Mims was drafted in the second round of the 2020 draft out of Baylor.

Denzel Mims sees field plenty again in Week 9, delivers clutch red-zone catch

Denzel Mims waited for his opportunity and it paid off.

All Denzel Mims wanted was an opportunity to play. That was the reason behind his trade request back in the summer. Now that he finally is seeing the field, Mims is making the most of his chances. On Sunday against the Bills, Mims saw plenty of time on the field and even though he didn’t see a ton of targets or make a lot of catches, he delivered right when the Jets needed him to.

The Jets ran 60 offensive snaps in their 20-17 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 9. Mims was on the field for 50 of those 60 snaps, good for 83%. That’s a bump up from the 75% snaps (44/59) he saw in Week 8 against the Patriots. He also saw one more target against the Bills than he did against the Patriots.

His yardage total against the Bills (12) was nowhere near his total against the Patriots (76), and he had just one catch against the Bills. That catch, however, was a very important catch that put the Jets in position to win.

2:10 left in a 17-17 game. It’s 3rd and 5 from the Buffalo 19. Zach Wilson is in the shotgun with Mims lined up as the Z receiver on the right side. Mims runs the quick slant across the face of Bills cornerback Kaiir Elam, gets the target, makes the reception and it’s 1st and Goal for the Jets.

“It means a lot,” Mims said about getting that pass. “It lets me know that they trust me and if it comes down to a crucial moment, they can trust me, so it makes me happy.

A few plays later, the Jets line up for a 28-yard field goal and Greg Zuerlein kicks it through. One more defensive stop later, the Jets scored their biggest win of the season, moving to 6-3 heading into the bye week and pulling within just a half-game of the Bills in the AFC East.

Mims waited for this opportunity and it paid off.

“It means a lot,” Mims said. “Last year kind of bothered me, but this year I told myself I’m going to keep my head down and just keep working. Just let my agent handle whatever else he needs to handle, or that side of it. All I can do is just come every day and work, and just hope I get my opportunity. And it came today. I’m grateful for it.”

Head coach Robert Saleh said last week Mims had earned a role in the offense moving forward, even after wide receiver Corey Davis returns from injury. After that big catch Sunday, it’s becoming harder to ignore him. “When we needed a third-down conversion, Mims played big boy ball on a slant and Zach delivered a strike that allowed us to take another couple of minutes off the clock,” Saleh said after the game.

Mims is back and he couldn’t be happier.

 

 

Denzel Mims may finally be getting his shot, even after Corey Davis returns

Robert Saleh says Denzel Mims has earned a role on offense even after Corey Davis returns.

The New York Jets have had to deal with two disgruntled wide receivers this season and injuries have played a factor at least one of them getting playing time this season. However, if coach Robert Saleh is true to his word Friday, one of those players may finally be getting more of a shot.

Denzel Mims expressed his frustrations with his role in the offense during the summer and went on to request a trade during training camp. The Jets did not oblige and ultimately made him inactive for the first seven games of the season.

The injury to Corey Davis opened up a spot on the game day roster for Mims and he was active for the first time in Week 8 against the Patriots. He’ll be active again in Week 9 against the Bills and may be active and have a role going forward, even when Davis returns from his knee injury.

Saleh said “something flipped” with Mims about three weeks ago and that, while unfortunate it was injuries that were the reason spots opened up, Mims “grabbed the bulk by the horns”, as Saleh put it and that he was absolutely earned a role going forward, even after Davis returns, which will likely be after the bye week.

“His attitude has been awesome,” Saleh said. “I feel like three weeks ago, something flipped. From his daily approach to coachability, all of it has really amplified for him. He’s really taking the bull by the horns and really showing a lot of maturity, not that he wasn’t mature before. Really like where he is mentally, like his mindset. So, hopefully he continues to grow.”

“Absolutely,” Saleh said about Mims earning a role when Davis returns. “The sad part of injuries is that you’re not playing. The good part is that it gives somebody a chance to step up. All you can ask for is to have the door open — just a crack. Then, it’s the individuals job to blow it open. He did a nice job last week, and he has another opportunity to do it this week.”

With Davis out this week, Mims has a big opportunity to really establish himself again in the offense. Then the Jets will have at least one less disgruntled wide receiver.

CBS Sports names trade that makes sense for Ravens

CBS Sports named a trade that makes sense for the Ravens to pull off before the 2022 trade deadline

The Baltimore Ravens have seen a few players step up at the wide receiver position in 2022, namely Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay. However, with not much else behind them there have been legitimate concerns as to how the group can hold up over a full 17-game season, especially with Bateman already missing two games due to a foot sprain.

When listing off 12 trades that make sense across the NFL, Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports named one for Baltimore, having them acquire New York Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims. The deal has the Ravens sending New York a 2023 conditional sixth-round pick, with Benjamin saying that adding wideout DeSean Jackson to the practice squad is not enough.

“Adding DeSean Jackson is fun, but trusting the 35-year-old to stay healthy at this juncture is like trusting your slowest linebacker to chase down Lamar Jackson. Mims, meanwhile, is just 25 and could vie for a role in Baltimore’s lackluster WR corps through 2023. Jets GM Joe Douglas is friendly with the Ravens, spending the first 15 years of his career in Baltimore.”

Mims was a second-round selection of the Jets in the 2020 draft, but hasn’t gotten many opportunities to produce. He hasn’t recorded any stats for New York in 2022, and in the two seasons prior has totaled 31 catches for 490 yards. He could be a low-cost option if Baltimore is looking to add another wideout before the trade deadline.

Elijah Moore to sit vs. Broncos, will return to team Monday

Elijah Moore will not play Sunday, Denzel Mims will make his season debut

Jets WR Elijah Moore will get the weekend off to relax. Head coach Robert Saleh told reporters Friday that Moore will not play Sunday against the Denver Broncos after the receiver requested a trade from the team Thursday. The team has no plans as of yet to trade Moore.

“To ask him to play a football game with where he is from a mental standpoint wouldn’t be fair to him, in my opinion,” coach Robert Saleh told reporters. “But that’s strictly my decision.”

Moore will return to the team Monday. The Jets are going to let Moore work out on his own. He’ll go through a game situation Sunday after working out in New Jersey this weekend before rejoining the team Monday.

Saleh confirmed Friday that Moore was sent home from practice Thursday following a disagreement with coaches. Per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, it was an argument with offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. It was initially reported that Moore was taking a personal day to tend to family matters.

“Like everything, it gets to a boiling point,” Saleh said Friday. “He showed displeasure. It was one of those deals where it was just best for him to just relax, calm down, take a day, catch your breath and we’ll reconvene at another time.”

With Moore being inactive Sunday, Denzel Mims, the first Jets receiver to request a trade this season, will be active for the first time this season. “He’s prepared himself to play and he’s going to get his opportunity,” Saleh said.

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NFL trade deadline: 3 linebacker targets worth looking at for the Seahawks

Here are three potential trade targets that are worth considering for Pete Carroll and John Schenider.

The NFL trade deadline is two weeks away and the Seahawks are better than most people expected them to be. With some defensive improvement, a few lucky breaks and some personnel upgrades there’s a chance they could be in the wild card hunt.

With that in mind, they should be buyers at the deadline. Specifically, they should be looking to improve their linebacker corps. Here are three potential trade targets that are worth considering for Pete Carroll and John Schenider.

Inactives for Jets vs. Ravens in Week 1: Brown, Mims among inactives for Jets

Inactives for Jets vs. Ravens

Some of the key injuries for the Week 1 matchup between the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens were already known heading into and throughout the weekend.

Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (knee) and left tackle Duane Brown (shoulder) were ruled out Friday.

Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle) was originally listed as doubtful on Friday then ruled out on Saturday. Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins (knee) was listed as questionable on Friday after being limited all week, however he will be inactive Sunday, as reported by ESPN’s Dianna Russini.

Another key inactive for the Ravens made official on Sunday is cornerback Marcus Peters with a knee injury.

Here are the full inactives for the Jets and the Ravens.

Jets Inactives

QB Zach Wilson
TE Jeremy Ruckert
WR Denzel Mims
OL Conor McDermott
DE Bryce Huff

Ravens inactives

CB Marcus Peters
RB J.K. Dobbins
OT Ronnie Stanley
OT Daniel Faalele
TE Nick Boyle
DT Travis Jones

Report: Cowboys contacted Jets about trade for WR Denzel Mims

The Jets’ third-year WR is reportedly frustrated with his role in the offense; Dallas was interested in Mims coming out of Baylor in 2020. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys roster, as it stands now, features a sizable committee of youngsters at wide receiver. CeeDee Lamb is, of course, the clear No. 1 target for Dak Prescott heading into the season. Michael Gallup is pegged as the No. 2, but he won’t be healthy enough to play until later in September (best case).

Behind them, though, are six other receivers, none older than 26. According to reports, the team looked into adding yet another one to the mix.

Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York has reported that the Cowboys were one of four teams to reach out to the Jets about their second-round draft pick from two years ago, Denzel Mims.

Mims was a college standout at Baylor and got plenty of attention from Dallas leading up the 2020 draft. In recent days, the 24-year-old has expressed frustration with the Jets organization over his lack of usage in the offense and has requested a trade.

As per the report, the Cowboys inquired about Mims, as did the Panthers, Seahawks, and Vikings. Minnesota and Carolina have since added other receivers, Jalen Raegor and Laviska Shenault, respectively.

Dallas signed James Washington in free agency, ostensibly as a WR3 behind Lamb and Gallup, but a foot fracture early in camp has landed the former Steeler on injured reserve. Noah Brown, Simi Fehoko, and rookies Jalen Tolbert, Dennis Houston, and KaVontae Turpin make up the rest of the Cowboys receiving corps.

Experience-wise, Mims may not be a giant upgrade from any of them. But he could likely walk in the door and, by default, make the Cowboys’ starting lineup for the season opener in ten days… therefore possibly presenting himself as a solid WR3 option for after Gallup returns.

Mims caught 12 balls and one touchdown on 17 targets for the Jets this preseason. PFF lists him as a player who deserves more playing time in 2022 based on his summer work. But it may not come with the Jets; Mims said this week that the club is “pretty set on who they want” as their starters.

Dallas liked Mims for his blazing speed and huge catch radius two years ago, so the interest now shouldn’t come as a total surprise for a front office that claims to always be in talent-evaluation mode.

Hughes notes that the Jets were asking for a fourth-round draft pick in return for Mims, who has a total of 31 receptions for 490 yards in his two seasons as a pro. (Another report suggests the Jets wanted a conditional fifth-round pick that would become a fourth if Mims were to surpass 500 receiving yards with his new team.)

Whatever the price tag, the Cowboys have apparently deemed it too high for the Texas native, at least for now.

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Seahawks among teams that called Jets about WR Denzel Mims

However, the Jets were asking for a fourth-round draft pick in return, which nobody was willing to give up.

The Seahawks were among the teams that called the Jets about wide receiver Denzel Mims, who recently requested a trade. According to Connor Hughes, the Vikings, Cowboys and Panthers also called. However, the Jets were asking for a fourth-round draft pick in return, which nobody was willing to give up, so they kept him.

Mims (6-foot-3, 207 pounds) was a second-round pick by New York in the 2020 draft after balling out at Baylor. So far he’s played in 20 games, totaling 31 catches, 490 yards and zero touchdowns.

This is a sign that the coaching staff is understandably not thrilled with their depth at wide receiver. During the preseason, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett only played a handful of snaps. That allowed everyone else on the depth chart a chance to shine but none took advantage.

Seventh-round picks Dareke Young and Bo Melton both struggled with drops and Melton wound up on the practice squad after getting cut from the initial 53-man roster.

Among the candidates to be the WR3 option there wasn’t much to like. Dee Eskridge only played one game and is still showing signs of delayed development. Marquise Goodwin missed the preseason due to an injury and former No. 3 receiver Freddie Swain struggled so much that he was released.

That leaves a pretty significant opening for the Seahawks’ passing game. If they can find another quality receiver before Week 1 they should jump on it.

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