In early August, we heard that Jets’ second-year receiver Denzel Mims could be on the roster bubble. Shortly thereafter, Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com reported that Gang Green had no intentions of moving on from Mims, and that he had only fallen down the club’s WR depth chart because a bad reaction to antibiotics caused him to lose a great deal of weight, which prevented him from fully participating in the offseason program and grasping the new coaching staff’s offense.
One week into the 2021 campaign, however, the rumors continue to persist. Mims, whom the Jets selected in the second round of the 2020 draft, saw only three snaps in New York’s season-opening loss to the Panthers last Sunday — one of which resulted in a 40-yard reception — and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com says the Baylor product is frustrated with the situation.
In response to questions about Mims’ lack of usage, head coach Robert Saleh said that the backup wideouts like Mims need to understand how to play “multiple spots” in order to see the field more when one of the top three WRs needs a break. So while it seems that Mims still does not have a full grasp of the playbook, Cimini understandably wonders why the Jets are limiting themselves to a three-receiver rotation and why they can’t find more playing time for a player who, while still raw in some areas, offers plenty of size and athleticism and who showed some flashes as a rookie.
When one considers that New York also seems determined to transform rookie receiver Elijah Moore, whose skill-set seems best-suited to the slot, into an outside target, Saleh’s response becomes less defensible. And, as Cimini writes, Mims is unlikely to dress for today’s Week 2 battle with the Patriots.
The ESPN scribe says that other teams are monitoring Mims’ status, and that at least two clubs could have interest if he became available via trade. Indeed, Pauline’s report from last month said Mims’ stock league-wide was still high, and there’s no reason to believe that has changed in the last few weeks.
More must-reads: