Training Camp is a little over a week away for the Philadelphia Eagles but as we all know, Howie Roseman never stops looking for ways to improve his team. An opportunity to add a developmental wide receiver may have fallen gracefully into his lap on Wednesday when it was reported that the New York Jets would be parting ways with Denzel Mims.
Who is Denzel Mims?
A fourth-year receiver out of Baylor, Mims was once a draft crush of Eagles fans everywhere. It was easy to fall in love with Denzel’s size (6’3) and speed (4.38 40-yard dash), but when I watched tape, effort seemed to lack. I wrote back then that landing in Philadelphia, who at the time were hardly the most stable team in the league, wouldn’t be the best spot for Mims to harness his potential.
Fast forward to 2023 and the fourth-year wide receiver could be looking for a new home soon. The Jets are reportedly prepared to release Mims if they can’t find a trade partner. Given that the report is now public, it’s unlikely that any team who has heard those same whispers are going to give up anything more than a 7th rounder as a gesture of goodwill, meaning Mims will be on the open market soon.
He’ll leave the New York Jets with 30 games under his belt where he tallied a total of 42 catches for 676 yards and 0 touchdowns.
Should the Eagles be interested?
Let’s make one thing clear. Denzel Mims did make an unfortunately degrading comment about Philadelphia after his Draft visit, calling it a ‘dirty ass, trash ass, City’ and saying that he was scared during his time there. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.
However, times have changed and Mims is now four years older, likely understanding the business and his own life much more.
As a player, there is some upside here. Mims is still a work in progress, but if he were to join Philadelphia this Summer, he’d be working under DeVonta Smith and A.J Brown, two of the best young wideouts in the entire league.
The Eagles have often toyed with a ‘big slot’ receiver, and Mims could be the perfect substitute for AJ Brown as a WR4 when the former Titan needs a breather.
There’s no guaranteeing that this move would workout, but Mims is a low-risk, high-reward player who is an athletic freak and could be a valuable rotational receiver for the Eagles to work with. If there is ever a culture to bring the best out of him, it’s the one the Eagles are currently building.
Photo by John Jones/Icon Sportswire
