Denzel Mims

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/17/24

Wednesday’s reserve/futures contracts:

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

Pittsburgh Steelers

Bryant joined the Cowboys in November, and though he didn’t appear in any games, Bryant left a good impression in Dallas after several weeks on the practice squad. He was released late in the season as the team shuffled the roster a bit but makes his return to Dallas for the offseason.

Steelers To Add WR Denzel Mims

Known for developing Day 2 receiver draftees, the Steelers will take a flier on a former second-round pick whose stock has dropped in the years since his NFL arrival. Denzel Mims is joining the team on a practice squad deal, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

This will be Mims’ third NFL team and third this year. A trade-rumor mainstay with the Jets, Mims was finally dealt this summer, landing with the Lions. The 6-foot-4 pass catcher struggled to make an impression in Detroit, and an ankle injury led to the team waiving him with an injury designation. The Lions cut Mims from IR with an injury settlement.

Mims is believed to be healthy now, per Garafolo. He will attempt to kickstart his career with a team that has a strong track record for receiver development. Of course, the Baylor product has produced three unremarkable seasons and saw the Jets overhaul their receiving corps this offseason. Nevertheless, a Steelers squad missing Diontae Johnson will kick the tires here.

The Jets traded Mims to the Lions in a conditional pick-swap deal in July. Detroit did not need to send over a pick, however, since the trade was conditional upon Mims making the Lions’ 53-man roster. With Mims being waived nearly two weeks before roster-cutdown day, the swap essentially amounted to a free trial for the Lions. While Mims landed on season-ending IR, he was always an injury-settlement candidate. Players who receive settlements and are moved off IR lists are eligible to play that season at a later date.

Going off the 2020 draft board 59th overall, Mims totaled 23 receptions for 357 yards as a rookie. He has not exceeded 200 yards in a season since. Trade rumors engulfed Mims for most of his Jets time, but he continued to remain a Gang Green backup during the team’s Zach Wilson period. After Mims requested a trade before the 2022 season, the Jets discussed him with teams. It was not until a last-call-type situation in which Mims was finally moved this year.

Johnson resides on the Steelers’ IR list due to a hamstring ailment; he cannot return until Week 6. The Steelers have Calvin Austin and Miles Boykin, a former Ravens third-round pick the team added via waivers last year, in place as backup wideouts. Special-teamer Gunner Olszewski is also on Pittsburgh’s active roster behind starters George Pickens and Allen Robinson.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/24/23

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Commanders

The Lions made a minor trade for Mims earlier this month, ending the former second-round pick’s unremarkable Jets tenure. But Mims struggled to catch on in Detroit as well. The Baylor alum is now headed toward free agency, should no one claim him. The Lions waived Mims with an injury designation, due to the fourth-year wideout encountering multiple ailments.

Parker landed on IR earlier this month. The Raiders will cut their former third-round pick loose. Depending on the terms of the settlement, Parker could return to the Raiders later this year. The sixth-year veteran could also land elsewhere, as this transaction will move him off Las Vegas’ IR. But the 32-game Raiders starter missed all of last season due to injury and moved out of the right tackle competition via injury once again this year.

The Eagles have circled back to Johnson quickly. After cutting the fifth-year veteran Wednesday, the defending NFC champions have him back in the fold on a two-year contract. The 26-year-old lineman had recently been promoted to second-team left tackle. Johnson started eight games for the Bengals from 2019-21.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/19/23

Saturday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

  • Reverted to IR: CB Jordan Swann

Detroit Lions

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

  • Signed: DL La’Darius Hamilton, DL Tomasi Laulile
  • Waived: RB Khalan Lanorn
  • Placed on IR: DE Taco Charlton

Seattle Seahawks

Charlton signed with the 49ers earlier this month, but he will not see time with them this season. Being placed on IR means he will be sidelined until 2024, which could lead to yet another new opportunity being needed for the former first-rounder to continue his career. Charlton has played 60 games (with 13 starts) during his time in the NFL, including five appearances with the Bears last year. San Francisco will likely now look elsewhere for depth options on the edge.

Lions Waive WR Denzel Mims

Denzel Mims‘ time in Detroit has come to an end rather quickly. The former Jets wideout has been dealing with multiple ailments and will be waived with an injury designation, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). The move is now official.

The former second-round pick was traded from the Jets to the Lions last month in a move aimed at giving him a fresh start and providing Detroit with low-cost receiver depth. The Day 3 picks swapped in that trade were conditional on Mims making the Lions’ 53-man roster. Since that will not be happening, both teams will retain their respective selections.

Mims entered the NFL with considerable expectations after posting two 1,000-yard seasons in college. He flashed potential as a deep threat during his rookie season, averaging 15.5 yards per catch on 23 receptions. The Baylor product saw his playing time cut dramatically after that, however, and his production over the past two seasons left him on the roster bubble.

New York’s preference was to find a trade partner for Mims rather than waiving him themselves, but he will now find himself on the open market nevertheless. Rapoport notes that the 25-year-old suffered a calf injury while rehabbing an ankle injury picked up earlier in training camp. Today’s news thus comes as little surprise, and the Lions will move forward with a receiving corps which will be without Jameson Williams for the rest of the summer after the latter encountered a hamstring issue.

To fill the roster spot opened up by Mims’ departure, the Lions are signing Jason Moore, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 (Twitter link). The former UDFA has made 20 career appearances in the NFL, all with the Chargers. Unlike Mims, Moore has a background on special teams, something which could help the latter in his bid to earn a 53-man roster spot. The former, meanwhile, will turn his attention to recovery and seek out another new opportunity when healthy.

Jets Trading WR Denzel Mims To Lions

JULY 20: NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the pick swap is conditional on Mims making the Lions’ 53-man roster. As a result, the deal is essentially a short-term free trial for the Lions as they look to finalize their WR depth chart in the coming weeks. A strong performance in camp and the preseason will go a long way in determining the former second-rounder’s fate as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.

JULY 19: The Jets have successfully found a trade partner for wide receiver Denzel Mims, according to a report coming initially from Connor Hughes of SNY.

Despite earlier rumors that the team was near waiving the former second-round pick, New York was able to get a return on Mims’s departure, netting a conditional sixth-round pick for Mims and a 2025 seventh-round pick, as confirmed by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The Jets had already made it known that they were planning to move on from the three-year receiver. They went as far as to excuse Mims from reporting to training camp, feeding trade rumors that have been consistent over the past two offseasons. Mims has failed to live up to his draft slot, totaling 42 catches for 676 yards and no touchdowns in his first three years combined. There were reportedly some hints of interest coming from Dallas in Mims’s home state, but ultimately, Mims will remain in the north.

The loss won’t affect the Jets’ depth chart, as they already were planning a roster without him. The team will move forward as planned with Garrett Wilson being joined by newcomers Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman as targets for new quarterback Aaron Rodgers with Corey Davis and Randall Cobb contributing, as well.

In Detroit, the Lions will hope to see Mims make an impact on the two-deep. The team had been betting on a big step forward in Year 2 of Jameson Williams‘s career, but a six-game suspension will limit Williams’s impact early. Instead, Detroit will rely on a familiar trio of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds, and Kalif Raymond with Marvin Jones returning to Motown to likely see starting reps in 2023.

During the absence of WIlliams, Mims should have an opportunity to make a strong case for his role in the offense. If he can establish an early rapport with quarterback Jared Goff, the Lions could have another wideout to add to an already quality group.

Jets Seeking Denzel Mims Trade Partner

4:47pm: The Mims-Jets saga persists. The team has not waived the fourth-year receiver yet, keeping open the possibility of a trade. The Cowboys previously discussed the Dangerfield, Texas, native with the Jets, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets, noting the talks were exploratory in nature.

11:07am: Another summer of Denzel Mims trade rumors is upon us, but the team does not sound like it intends to keep the former second-round pick if no deal materializes this time around.

The Jets are looking for a trade partner for Mims, per the New York Post’s Brian Costello, who adds the fourth-year receiver will be cut if no trade takes place. This looks to be a last-call announcement from the Jets, with Costello adding they plan to part ways with Mims on Wednesday.

The team excused Mims from reporting to training camp today, providing further indicating a long-rumored separation will take place soon. The 6-foot-3 pass catcher has been in trade rumors since 2021, when buzz about his roster spot began to emerge. Despite the steady rumors about Mims being a departure candidate, the Jets kept him throughout the past two seasons.

Chosen 59th overall in 2020, Mims has not delivered on his draft slot. And the Jets have remade their receiving corps this offseason. New York traded Elijah Moore and released Braxton Berrios, doing so during an offseason that saw Mecole Hardman, Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb sign as free agents. Corey Davis remains on the Jets’ roster, but the team is eyeing a pay cut. A Mims departure comes after years of trade rumblings.

Mims, 25, became a trade topic ahead of the 2021 trade deadline and before last season. He requested to be moved in August 2022, and the Jets engaged in more trade talks following that ask. The Cowboys, Panthers, Seahawks and Vikings are believed to have reached out last year, but with the Jets wanting at least a fourth-round pick in return, no deal commenced. Much has changed in Carolina since the then-Matt Rhule-led team called the Jets on Mims as well. It will almost certainly not take a fourth-rounder to acquire Mims today, but if a team lower on the waiver priority list wants to take a flier, the Jets might be able to fetch a late-round pick for the ex-Baylor cog. Some optimism exists this will end in a trade, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets.

During Sam Darnold‘s final season in New York (2020), Mims caught 23 passes for 357 yards. The Zach WilsonMike WhiteJoe Flacco seasons did not lead to an improvement from the young wide receiver, who combined for just 19 receptions over the past two seasons. One season, at a $1.35MM base salary, remains on Mims’ rookie contract. The Jets would pick up that $1.35MM in cap savings by waiving Mims.

While still looking for his first NFL touchdown, Mims totaled 28 while in college during a career that included two 1,000-yard seasons. He followed that up with a 4.38-second 40-yard dash clocking at the 2020 Combine. It seems he will have a chance at a fresh start soon.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Chubb, Hines

The Jets pulled off an upset win over the Bills today, despite the absence of wideout Corey Davis. The 2021 free agent signing ranks second on the team with 351 receiving yards, but has been unavailable since suffering a knee injury in Week 7.

That has allowed Denzel Mims to occupy a roster spot on gamedays, something which had yet to take place prior to the injury. The 2020 second-rounder saw a drastic drop in his playing time last year compared to his rookie campaign, which fueled a summer trade request. In the build-up to this year’s deadline, the possibility of a deal sending him out of New York remained, but nothing took place, perhaps as a reflection of his situation beginning to change.

Head coach Robert Saleh indicated that “something switched” recently with respect to Mims’ attitude and approach (Twitter link via SNY’s Connor Hughes). As a result, Saleh added that there is a strong possibility the Baylor alum will remain active for games even after Davis returns.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC East:

  • While the Jets were without Davis on offense, a notable member of their defense was back in action this afternoon. Edge rusher Jermaine Johnson returned after a three-game absence, something which was expected to take place today, per Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post. Part of New York’s vaunted 2022 rookie class, the first-rounder recorded a sack in the win over the Bills, bringing his total to 2.5 on the year. The Jets’ decision to trade away Jacob Martin will likely open the door to a larger role for Johnson moving forward.
  • More details have emerged regarding the Bradley Chubb extension he signed upon being acquired by the Dolphins. As detailed by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the new pact includes a fully guaranteed salary of $19.4MM next season. In March of 2023, his 2024 compensation will also become fully guaranteed. Overall, the Pro Bowler is in line for a steady base salary throughout the life of the deal; likewise, his cap hit is scheduled to remain very consistent, ranging from $22.2MM next year to $23.2MM in 2027, the final year of the deal.
  • The Bills were among the teams making notable additions on Tuesday, trading for running back Nyheim Hines. The veteran is known as an effective pass-catcher out of the backfield, but also for his special teams contributions. To no surprise, then, PFT’s Michael David Smith noted before today’s game that the ex-Colt was expected to serve as Buffalo’s punt returner. Indeed, Hines accounted for his new team’s only punt return, taking over that role from rookie Khalil Shakir.

AFC East Rumors: Jets WRs, Davis, Collins, Jones

Second-year wide receiver Elijah Moore made headlines yesterday when he became the second Jets pass catcher to request a trade in the past two months. The frustration leading to the request had been building for weeks, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, as Moore hasn’t quite found the success and production he saw in his rookie season. The team sent him home from practice for a “personal day” yesterday and are not considering trading the 22-year-old.

The other receiver who requested a trade was New York’s second-round draft pick from the year before the Jets selected Moore in the second round: Denzel Mims. Mims has been a healthy scratch for the team’s first six games of the season and, according to him, a trade is “still on the table.”

Here are a few other rumors out of the AFC East, starting with some injury details up in Massachusetts:

  • Patriots safety and core special teamer Cody Davis was placed on injured reserve earlier this week. According to the Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the move is a result of season-ending surgery Davis must undergo to repair a knee injury. It’s a tough loss for the Patriots, who have always valued special teams experts, and a return to the NFL next season will pose a difficult test for Davis, who will turn 34 before he can return.
  • Veteran linebacker Jamie Collins has been serving time with his first career stint on an NFL practice squad during his tenth year in the league. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick seemed to indicate that Collins’ offseason surgery is the reason he’s not on the active roster, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. Belichick insinuated that there’s a conditioning process that Collins will have to go through in order to earn a promotion to the active roster.
  • Although Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones is eligible to return from the team’s physically unable to perform list, the veteran starter is still not ready to play, according to Charean Williams of NBC Sports. Jones is still recovering from a March surgery on his ankle/Achilles area, even though head coach Mike McDaniel claimed multiple times that the team expected Jones back in time for the regular season. Instead, Jones remains on PUP and there is, reportedly, no timeline for his return.

Latest On Jets WR Denzel Mims

Despite his trade request last week, wideout Denzel Mims remained on the Jets as teams set their 53-man rosters. Speaking with reporters today, Mims expressed frustration at his situation and reiterated his desire to start.

“I feel like I already pretty much [showed I could start], from OTAs until now,” Mims said (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini). “I mean, they’re pretty set on who they want.

“I feel like, yeah, I feel like [the coaches] have made their mind up, honestly. But I feel like I can change their mind on that. I feel like I’ve been doing that. Their minds are pretty made up, though.”

Mims also mentioned that he expects to be inactive for the Jets Week 1 contest against the Ravens, and he noted that he doesn’t have any issues playing special teams. However, the receiver made it clear that he wants to play, something that probably won’t be possible when he’s behind a deep wide receiver group of Corey Davis, Elijah Moore, Braxton Berrios, and rookie Garrett Wilson. Those frustrations have led the organization to surmise that Mims doesn’t necessarily want to play elsewhere.

“I wouldn’t say he wants to be somewhere else; he wants to play,” GM Joe Douglas said. “He wants to start. Denzel is very confident. He has voiced that, that he wants to be a starter. Ultimately, you want a team full of guys that feel like they should be the No. 1 guy.”

While the Jets didn’t end up trading the former second-round pick, they still fielded calls on the wideout. According to Connor Hughes of SNYtv (on Twitter), the Vikings, Cowboys, Seahawks, and Panthers were among the teams that reached out to the Jets. However, New York was seeking a fourth-round pick in return for the receiver, and no team was willing to meet that asking price.