It's been two months since Denzel Mims requested a trade from the Jets.
Either the wide receiver is moved on Tuesday before the deadline passes at 4:00 p.m. ET or he sticks around for the rest of this season, trying to make the most of limited playing time in his third year with New York.
Mims, a former second-round pick, has had a tumultuous tenure with the Jets since he was drafted in 2020. He's flashed playmaking skills at wide receiver while also spending a significant chunk of time on the sidelines, either inactive or out with an injury or illness.
After years without a starting opportunity, Mims requested a trade from the Jets during the preseason. He proceeded to sit, as a healthy scratch, for the first six games of the season. It wasn't until Elijah Moore, another disgruntled second-rounder, also requested a trade that Mims got into a game.
Factoring in his career game against the Patriots on Sunday, featuring a career-long 63-yard reception, Mims has 80 receiving yards on three catches (five targets) in 2022. Overall, in his three seasons in the NFL, the Baylor product has racked up 570 receiving yards on 34 catches (72 targets). He still doesn't have a touchdown.
As much as his potential hasn't translated at this level yet, it's clear that Mims is a candidate to benefit from a change in scenery. The question for Jets general manager Joe Douglas is whether he wants to officially cut Mims loose and give him a shot elsewhere.
Douglas can hold onto Mims and keep the 25-year-old as insurance in a loaded wide receiver room. If he gets an offer from another club before Tuesday's deadline that's hard to refuse, then Mims might finally get his wish, a chance to start fresh and receive playing time each week.
The bottom line is that there are several teams out there in the NFL right now that covet depth at receiver, wanting to take a chance on a player like Mims that can blossom with more snaps and a new uniform. It just comes down to finding the right offer and Douglas pulling the trigger.
That in mind, here are two different trade proposals from other reporters within the Sports Illustrated FanNation network of NFL sites, proposals that were part of an exercise of hypotheticals leading up to Tuesday's deadline.
Dallas Cowboys
The trade: Denzel Mims from the Jets.
Terms: The Cowboys trade either Neville Gallimores or Trysten Hill for Mims.
Why the deal makes sense: Earlier this year, sources told CowboysSI.com that the Cowboys called on Mims, but balked when the Jets wanted a mid-round pick. The Cowboys should make another call with the idea being that Dallas’ depth at defensive tackle might be leveraged to add a former second-round pick in Mims to a thin and banged-up receivers room. — Mike Fisher of Cowboys Country
Atlanta Falcons
The trade: WR Denzel Mims from the Jets
Terms: The Falcons trade a 2024 sixth-round pick.
Why the deal makes sense: The Falcons did a similar trade last offseason to acquire receiver Bryan Edwards from the Raiders, but the early returns haven’t gone as expected. Atlanta still needs a long-term option next to rookie Drake London, and Mims has the talent to be exactly that. While the former second-round pick hasn’t produced through two-and-a-half seasons, his age (25), size (6’3”, 207 pounds) and team-friendly contract (one-and-a-half years of control) make him an intriguing upside play. — Daniel Flick of Falcon Report
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