Agent Ron Slavin surprised some in the NFL community so late in the preseason portion of the calendar when he confirmed on Thursday that New York Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims had asked to be traded because Mims "does not have a future with the Jets."
It was reported earlier on Friday that the Jets intend on granting Mims' request as long as a would-be buyer matches their asking price for the 2020 second-round draft selection. Mims was spotted on the practice field Friday morning, and Jets head coach Robert Saleh suggested when speaking with reporters later in the day that the parties could work something out.
"It's not over. I'm not going to say it's over with him," Saleh said of the 24-year-old's Gang Green stint, per Kevin Patra of the NFL's website. "Is it (disappointing)? Sure. You go into this and you fight for all your guys and you're trying to get them to where you want them to be. You just want to see these guys have success -- all the individual players -- you want them to have successful careers and achieve all their personal goals.
"With that said, I do think Denzel has done a great job. I'm standing by it. He's had a really good OTAs. He's done a really good job in training camp, and it's just a matter of him finding his niche and finding his role. I know he's frustrated as we've talked about before that he's not where he wants to be, but that doesn't mean that he can't get there. He just has to continue to grind."
Across his first 20 pro games, Mims recorded just 31 catches on 67 targets for 490 yards and zero touchdowns. It's been reported that the Carolina Panthers contacted the Jets about possibly landing Mims' services now that he may be as low as fifth in New York's rotation at the position.
"I don't think it's a locker room distraction," Saleh added about the Mims situation. "That's where I'm getting at. It's a business part of it. You know, he's one of our 53 best. This is the business part of it. In my heart, and I think you look at Denzel, it's not, 'I don't want to be a part of New York.' It's not, 'I don't like my locker room. I don't like my teammates. I don't like my coaches.' It's, 'I want more.' Which is understandable."
Saleh did, however, make it clear that general manager Joe Douglas must do "what's best for the organization" as it pertains to Mims' future. Mims' rookie contract runs through the 2023 season, so he doesn't have a plethora of options if the Jets decide he's going nowhere before the Week 1 home game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 11.
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