Just-Released WR Should Pique Cowboys' Interest as Potential Signing

Tuesday was a big day for Dallas Cowboys fans as the franchise revealed that this year's training camp will officially begin on July 22. In other words, we're just a month away from finding out if America's Team looks like they're any closer to ending their Super Bowl drought than they were last year.

Training camp isn't for another 30-something days, though, meaning the Cowboys have more time to add warm bodies for the summer. Spotrac lists Dallas as having only 87 players under contract at the moment, meaning that the team still has room to add another three players to help elevate the competition.

Fortunately, the perfect player to fill one of those spots was just made available.

Cowboys Free Agency: Should Dallas Sign WR Denzel Mims?

Veteran wide receiver Denzel Mims was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday, per NFL insider Adam Schefter. The former Baylor playmaker was drafted 59th overall by the New York Jets in 2020 and spent the 2023 campaign with the Steelers and Detroit Lions' practice squads.

Mims showed plenty of promise during his four-year run with the Bears. The Daingerfield, TX native hit the 1,000-yard mark twice in his final three seasons at Baylor and even earned first-team All-Big 12 honors for his 2019 performance (66 receptions, 1,020 yards, 12 touchdowns).

It was easy to see why the Jets used a second-round pick on Mims after his breakout year. Unfortunately, he was unable to put things together at the NFL level. He played 30 games across three seasons with New York, hauling in 42-of-92 targets (45.7%) for 676 receiving yards without a touchdown.

The Jets decided to give Mims a fresh start last summer, shipping him and a conditional 2025 seventh-round pick to the Lions for a sixth-rounder. Various leg-related injuries led to Mims being released by Detroit before the end of the preseason, allowing him to join Pittsburgh's practice unit until this week's release.

While Mims' NFL track record hasn't been the best, he's only 26 years old and could still develop into a decent depth wideout. The top of the Cowboys' WR depth chart (CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Jalen Tolbert) is set, however, you can argue that the rest of the order could go in several directions. If a change of scenery does help, Mims could quickly find himself in the mix.

It also helps that the ex-Bear would likely be an instant local fan favorite. He grew up two hours outside of Dallas in Daingerfield before spending his high school and collegiate playing years in Texas. Who knows? Perhaps a homecoming could help him realize the potential that scouts saw in him four years ago.

Interestingly enough, this isn't the first time that Dallas has been linked to the veteran playmaker. Sports Illustrated's Mike Fisher reported that the Jets had offered Mims to the Cowboys last July, however, the Lions swooped in and pulled off the deal first. Maybe the second attempt will be the charm?

We'll see if a potential Mims signing helps move the needle regarding the Cowboys' 2024 outlook. Dallas certainly wouldn't mind the extra hand given that its +145 odds to win the NFC East next season rank second-best on FanDuel Sportsbook.

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