Toronto Argonauts add former second-round NFL draft pick Denzel Mims to negotiation list

Photo: New York Jets

The Toronto Argonauts have added American receiver Denzel Mims to their negotiation list. The move was reflected in the league’s database on Sunday.

The six-foot-three, 209-pound target was a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. He spent three seasons with the team, recording 42 catches for 676 yards over 30 regular-season games.

The 28-year-old was traded to the Detroit Lions in 2023 in exchange for a conditional seventh-round draft pick. One month later, he was waived by the Lions.

Mims has since been a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, St. Louis Battlehawks, Dallas Renegades, and is currently a member of the Dallas Cowboys. He hasn’t dressed for a regular-season NFL game since 2022.

The native of Daingerfield, Texas played collegiately at Baylor University, where he was named first-team All-Big 12 as a senior. He played 48 games with the Bears and made 186 catches for 2,925 yards and 28 touchdowns.

Mims shone at the NFL Combine in 2020, where he ran a 4.38-second forty-yard dash, 4.43-second shuttle, and 6.66-second three-cone. He also leapt a 38.5-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot, 11-inch broad jump.

CFL teams can claim the rights to up to 45 players via the negotiation list on a first-come, first-served basis, provided that they are not eligible for the Canadian or Global Drafts, and have never played in the league before. These players can be added, traded, or removed from the list at any time.

Being added to a negotiation list does not mean that the player has expressed interest in the CFL, and some are unaware that their rights have even been claimed. Players can only force their removal from the list if the team does not provide them with a minimum contract offer at their request.

The Toronto Argonauts (2-3) will visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-3) at Hamilton Stadium on Saturday, July 18 with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EDT. The Argonauts are coming off a 30-21 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, while the Tiger-Cats lost 38-7 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The weather forecast in Hamilton calls for a high of 28 degrees and a 40 chance of rain. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on TSN 1050 in Toronto or the Ticats Audio Network in Hamilton.