Denzel Mims as a Bears Fit

The Chicago Bears could justify claiming Denzel Mims off waivers should he become available but trading to acquire an unproven player seems like logic used by the team's former GM.

When the frenzy for waiver wire players begins, it's possible one player the Bears could look at is Jets receiver Denzel Mims.

Mims looks to have little or no role with the Jets this year because of the receiver help they've enlisted, so he's gone to his team and asked for a trade.

Roquan Smith can tell you how this can work out, but in Mims' case it's more of a possibility because he is a less expensive player as a second-round pick and only in his third year of a rookie contract. 

Mims hasn't had the production in two seasons to correspond with his athletic and receiving ability at college, when he closed his Baylor career with 61, 55 and 66 catches while amassing 28 touchdowns.

With the Jets, he is below 50% for a catch-to-targets ratio with 31 receptions on 67 targts. He has averaged 15.8 yards per catch when he does get one, but hasn't scored a touchdown.

Essentially, what Mims has been in two years is Breshad Perriman. 

He is an underachieving receiver who hasn't hit 50% for his career targets. He has the big yards-per-catch average like Perriman but not enough receptions and definitely has fewer TDs than Perriman, who has 15 for the half dozen teams he was with, including the Bears.

What the Bears or any team would need to weighif they consider a trade offer is how much of that is the fault of the team Mims has played for  and his quarterback, and how much is the player.

The Jets appear to have little use for him as he is behind former Titans receiver Corey Davis on the depth chart, and Davis has averaged almost 50 catches per year in five years with Tennessee and the Jets. They also have Elijah Moore, who had 43 catches last year, and Ohio State rookie standout Garrett Wilson. In addition, they have starting slot receiver Braxton Berrios.

Wouldn’t touch him. I’ve said this several times over the last 2-3 days. He has been a bust for a team that has been starving for WR’s. He’s got size & speed, it’s ends there. Would never give up a pick for him. I’d only think about PS to kick the tires

— Greg Gabriel (@ggabefootball) August 27, 2022

There are several reasons the Bears would be better off waiting to see if Mims is cut before trying to sign him, if they are at all interested. 

By waiting, they would run the risk of a team with a worse 2021 record claiming him off waivers, like Houston. But considering his lack of production and status with the Jets now, it's not like chances are great for a big return on the investment.

1. Valuing Bears Draft Picks

Why should the Bears start throwing away draft picks that could be used for future players who can be successful in order to acquire players who already have a past of being unsuccessful? This sounds like Ryan Pace logic. 

Message to all who haven't gotten the memo: Draft picks once again are valued by the Bears after years when they weren't. GM Ryan Poles has shown he knows how to make draft picks who can play. Both Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon appear to be examples. So is Velus Jones Jr., and players at the bottom of the Bears draft even appear capable of developing into contributors. The Bears should be keeping draft picks at all cost.

2. Time's Up

This is the kind of trade you'd make early in the offseason so Mims could work into the offense. Now, if they bring in Mims and try to coach him up on their offense, it's unlikely they'd get much of a return until at least five or six games into the season. A successful veteran would have a difficult enough time trying to pick up an offense on the fly like that after missing OTAs, minicamp, training camp and preseason, but Mims hasn't been a successful veteran or rookie.

It's not easy making up for lost practices. Coach Matt Eberflus indicated as much when asked Thursday how hard it will be for injured Byron Pringle to come back after a month away with a quad injury, especially at the receiver position.

"I think when you lose time on the grass (practicing), it's always hard to come back," Eberflus said.

Pringle would have the advantage of knowing the offense through his offseason work but it would still be hard. What kind of insight into the Bears offense would Mims have and how long would it take for him? 

Quite a while probably. The point is, if it's going to take a while for a player acquired in a trade to fit into the offense, why not just keep the draft pick until next year and draft the one you want yourself, and then have him from the start of his career.

3. The Bears Already Have This Player

N'Keal Harry was already acquired for a seventh-round pick and he's coming back. He won't know the offense much better than Mims but does know it somewhat and besides, being a bigger player than Mims, he also is supposed to be one of the best blocking wide receivers in the league based on last year's Pro Football Focus grades.

Mims does have much better speed than Harry at 4.38 seconds for the 40 to 4.53, but both had 38 1/2-inch vertical leaps and Harry is three inches taller at 6-4.

If there was a question as to whether Harry would be able to return from tightrope surgery to his ankle, then it might make more sense to deal away a draft pick. But this isn't the case and they could have Harry up and working in the offense by the beginning of October. By then, they couldn't even be sure if Mims would know enough of the offense to make a difference in it.

4. Jets Factor

It's easy to look at Mims and say what could he prove? He has been with the Jets. Put him with a better team and he could flourish.

And the Bears are better?

The truth is, Mims has been looked at by two different coaching regimes in New York already and hasn't stepped up to become the player they wanted. 

He's had four different starting quarterbacks and has yet to show improvement with any.

Mims is worth a look by the Bears considering how depleted their receiver corps is due to injuries but there are good reasons to expect he'll look the same wearing navy and orange as he did in Jets green.

Keep seeing people saying the Jets wouldn’t get anything for Denzel Mims.

Im confident Joe Douglas could trade a 7th round pick for a 6th round pick straight up #Jets pic.twitter.com/C5Fh1Azt4g

— Stefan Stelling (@li_jets) August 26, 2022

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