Denzel Mims requested a trade from the Jets on Thursday. Jan 3, 2021; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims (11) goes up for a catch over New England Patriots cornerback Joejuan Williams (33) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Things have not gone smoothly for Denzel Mims since the New York Jets took him in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Now, with his third NFL season on the horizon, Mims is looking for a change of scenery.

Ron Slavin, Mims’ agent, released a statement on Thursday (per Ian Rapaport, NFL.com). In it, he requested that the Jets trade Mims.

“Denzel vowed to come back better than ever this season and worked extremely hard in the offseason to make it happen. Still, he has been given no opportunities with the starting offense to get in a groove with them. We feel at this point a trade is our only option, since the Jets have told us repeatedly they will not release him. Joe Douglas has always done right by Denzel and we trust he will do everything in his power to find another team where Denzel can be a contributor.”

Given how poorly the first two years of his career have gone, the news was less than shocking.

Mims has struggled to even get on the field in his two seasons with the Jets. He played in only nine games as a rookie in 2020 and 11 in 2021. When he’s been on the field, the production hasn’t been great. For his career, he has only 31 receptions for 490 yards with zero touchdowns.

Despite those struggles, people in the NFL world saw several different potential fits for Mims — who has caught five passes for 68 yards during the 2022 preseason.

The feasibility of a trade will largely depend on what New York would want in return. Since they took him in the second round only two years ago, the Jets may be hesitant to take a late-round draft pick as a return for Mims. If they are hesitant, a deal will be hard to come by. If, however, they are flexible and willing to give Mims a change of scenery for a modest price, plenty of teams should be interested.

Mims will turn 25 during the season. While his NFL career hasn’t gone well, he topped 1,000 yards receiving twice at Baylor. That included his senior season in 2019 when he caught 66 passes for 1,020 yards with 12 touchdowns. And while it’s a somewhat limited sample size, Mims is averaging 15.8 yards per reception in the NFL. So, he can stretch the field.

The overall adjustment to the NFL has not gone smoothly for Mims. But if he can land in the right place, he’s shown enough flashes of talent to indicate that his career can still be salvaged.

[Ian Rapaport on Twitter]

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