The Jets did indeed find a trade partner for Denzel Mims. Per Connor Hughes of SNY, the Jets are sending the wide receiver to the Detroit Lions.
BREAKING: The #Jets are trading Denzel Mims to the Detroit Lions, sources tell @SNYtv
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) July 20, 2023
The teams will also swap picks in 2025 as part of the deal. The Jets will receive a conditional sixth-round pick while the Lions will get a seventh-round pick. The condition is based on Mims making the 53-man roster for the Jets, per Tom Pelissero.
The condition on the pick swap is that Mims makes Detroit’s 53-man roster. So it’s a free look at a player who was talented enough to go 59th overall in 2020 and should be plenty motivated in a contract year. https://t.co/eucGKD4ufl
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 20, 2023
It was reported earlier Wednesday that the Jets were looking to trade Mims and would waive him if they couldn’t. They didn’t officially cut him Wednesday, keeping open the trade possibility. Sure enough, late Wednesday night, a deal was done. It took a year, but Mims finally got his wish to be traded out of New York. He gets his fresh start in Detroit under head coach Dan Campbell.
Mims was entering camp squarely on the roster bubble following three years without a touchdown and with plenty of time spent in the doghouse, going back to his rookie season in 2020. He now joins a Lions’ wide receivers room that includes Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams (who is suspended for the first six games for violating the league’s gambling policy), Marvin Jones, Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond and more.
As for the Jets, this opens the door for some of the young players, including undrafted free agent Jason Brownlee, to make a case and be the No. 6 receiver. That will now be one of the interesting camp battles this summer.