Denzel Mims wants out of New York, but Gang Green coach Robert Saleh hasn't given up on the former second-round receiver being a Jet all the way.
Saleh said Friday he's had a "really good conversation" with Mims and won't close the door on a potential reconciliation.
"It's not over. I'm not going to say it's over with him," Saleh said. "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."
This feels like a situation where a club publicly suggests it could keep a disgruntled player in hopes of milking the most out of any trade talks. But after two disappointing seasons, a prime pick isn't likely in the offering. If the Jets don't get what they feel is a worthy offer, they could hang onto the receiver, even if he's miffed.
Mims has been unable to crack the top of the Jets' rotation behind Elijah Moore, Corey Davis, Braxton Berrios and Garrett Wilson. The hope from the third-year pro's perspective is that a fresh start with a team willing to give him more opportunities as a boundary receiver will unlock the talent the Jets saw when using a second-round selection on the Baylor product in 2020.
Even with Mims' trade request hovering over the final week of the preseason, Salah insists the situation is salvageable.
"I don't think it's a locker room distraction," the coach said. "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. But at the same time, not to speak for (general manager) Joe (Douglas), but all of us from a decision-making standpoint, we've got to do what's best for the organization. And he's one of our better players, and we've got to find a way to make this work."
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