The Broncos traded Jerry Jeudy to Cleveland, and that move caused a brief moment of excitement regarding last year's second-rounder Marvin Mims. Mims wasn't much of a factor as a rookie, but perhaps he'd be a starter this year. Perhaps.
It's hard to get too excited about him, however, with the way the Broncos have hedged their bets so far. They're bringing back Tim Patrick, who's been hurt the last two seasons, to join Courtland Sutton. And now they've also signed Josh Reynolds, to a contract which based on what we know makes it seem like he'll be a starter.
Reynolds is most recently remembered for a couple of critical drops in Detroit's loss at San Francisco in the NFC Championship game. But he's been a productive receiver for various teams the past few years, and the Broncos signed him to a two-year contract worth "up to" $14 million. No details available yet beyond that, but on the surface the kind of money that suggests at least a top-3 role. So not great news for Mims.
Reynolds has played for the Rams, Titans and Lions since 2020, but he's had a decent role when on the field. In 59 games he's made 42 starts, and seen 253 targets -- an average of 4-5 per contest. He's caught at least 3 passes in half those games and gone over 50 receiving yards in a third of them. He may not be viewed as a notable player, but past usage and contract size suggest he's going to have a role.
Table shows Reynolds' 28 3-catch games the last four years, sorted by yardage. He caught 10 TDs in those games. He kind of stood in the way of Jameson Williams with the Lions, and he looks poised to do the same for Mims in Denver.
| JOSH REYNOLDS GAME LOG, 2020-2023 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Tm | Opp | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD |
| 2022 | Det. | at Min. | 10 | 6 | 96 | 0 |
| 2020 | LAR | Sea. | 10 | 8 | 94 | 0 |
| 2022 | Det. | at N.E. | 10 | 6 | 92 | 0 |
| 2022 | Det. | Sea. | 8 | 7 | 81 | 1 |
| 2023 | Det. | at K.C. | 7 | 4 | 80 | 0 |
| 2023 | Det. | Car. | 5 | 4 | 76 | 1 |
| 2021 | Det. | Chi. | 5 | 3 | 70 | 1 |
| 2021 | Det. | Min. | 7 | 4 | 69 | 0 |
| 2023 | Det. | at G.B. | 6 | 3 | 69 | 0 |
| 2021 | Det. | Ariz. | 6 | 6 | 68 | 1 |
| 2023 | Det. | Sea. | 6 | 5 | 66 | 2 |
| 2020 | LAR | at Sea. | 10 | 6 | 65 | 0 |
| 2020 | LAR | at Buf. | 5 | 4 | 60 | 0 |
| 2021 | Ten. | at NYJ | 9 | 6 | 59 | 0 |
| 2020 | LAR | Chi. | 8 | 4 | 52 | 1 |
| 2021 | Det. | at Den. | 5 | 3 | 52 | 0 |
| 2022 | Det. | Min. | 6 | 5 | 51 | 1 |
| 2023 | Det. | at T.B. | 3 | 3 | 50 | 0 |
| 2020 | LAR | at Mia. | 9 | 4 | 44 | 0 |
| 2023 | Det. | Min. | 7 | 5 | 44 | 0 |
| 2023 | Det. | at Chi. | 4 | 3 | 44 | 1 |
| 2020 | LAR | S.F. | 6 | 5 | 40 | 0 |
| 2022 | Det. | Was. | 3 | 3 | 38 | 1 |
| 2020 | LAR | at T.B. | 6 | 3 | 32 | 0 |
| 2020 | LAR | Ariz. | 6 | 4 | 29 | 0 |
| 2020 | LAR | NYG | 4 | 3 | 25 | 0 |
| 2021 | Ten. | K.C. | 3 | 3 | 23 | 0 |
| 2022 | Det. | Jac. | 4 | 3 | 19 | 0 |
I was hoping there'd be some sleeper appeal for Mims, who flashed big-play potential early last season. The Broncos traded up to select him at the end of the second round, so they must have viewed him as a guy who could be a key part of their offense.
But this signing suggests they're not married to the idea of him having a key offensive role. Throw in the fact that their starter figures to be either Jarrett Stidham or a rookie, and it's hard to feel good about a Mims breakout.
--Andy Richardson