Eagles vs. Cowboys: Who Wants Denzel Mims? Bad Option for Philly
The need for receivers was in-your-face clear. How clear? “Crystal,” as Tom Cruise said in ‘A Few Good Men.’
The Philadelphia Eagles had nobody, really, who could be counted on to catch the ball heading into the 2020 season. Alshon Jeffery was done, Nelson Agholor was headed to the Las Vegas Raiders as a free agent, and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside was on his way to being a bust.
As the draft approached, fans focused on pass catchers, and Denzel Mims was in the conversation. The Eagles could have had the Baylor receiver, too.
They had already drafted Jalen Reagor in the first round, and there were many among the fan base and media that believed Philly would double-dip at the position. Mims was sitting there as the Eagles hit the clock with the 53rd overall pick.
They took a pass, though selected a pair of receivers later in the draft – John Hightower in the fifth round and Quez Watkins in the sixth.
There’s no telling how the Eagles felt about Mims’ pre-draft comments when he said about his visit to Philadelphia: “I didn’t like that dirty ass, trash ass city.”
Regardless of the comments, the Eagles selected Jalen Hurts with the 53rd overall pick, and it was a selection that altered the trajectory of the franchise.
Meanwhile, the New York Jets stepped into the Mims trap six picks later, and now regret it enough that he will reportedly be released if Joe Douglas, the Jets’ general manager and former right-hand man to Eagles GM Howie Roseman, can’t find a trade partner.
The Eagles already passed on DeAndre Hopkins, who was a free agent for more than a month before becoming property of the Tennessee Titans earlier in the week, signing a two-year contract that will pay him $26 million over its length with the possibility of earning an additional $6M over the two years.
No way were the Eagles going for that sort of monetary investment, despite a position group that gets too thin too fast after the dynamic duo of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.
Mims’ salary comes nowhere near Hopkins and that may tempt Roseman to take a peek. The receiver, who is still 25, is in the final year of a rookie contract that will pay him $1.35 million and comes with a salary-cap charge of $1.72 mil. Not bad.
His numbers are, though. He has played just 11 games in each of his three seasons in the league, and when he plays he hasn’t been effective in the slightest, with just 42 receptions for 676 yards while still looking for the first touchdown catch of his career.
As if the numbers aren’t bad enough, Mims also had this to say about Philadelphia weeks before the draft was held three years ago.
“I went (to Philly) with a couple of teammates and my head coach (Matt Rhule),” said Mims, who is from Daingerfield, Texas. “We went up there and just spent some time together. And the experience I had, I was very scared. I wasn’t familiar with the whole city, and, um, it was a lot going on. You see a lot of people that look scary.”
Even with the possibility that a change of scenery could do Mims good, he clearly isn’t enamored with the scenery in Philadelphia and, when you combine that with his lack of success in his first three seasons, signing him isn’t something the Eagles should invest too much time exploring.
Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI's EaglesToday.
Please follow him and our Eagles coverage on Twitter at @kracze.
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