Because someone acts and speaks a certain way, we have a tendency of discarding the talent along with everything else when it comes to veteran stars like Brandon Marshall.
He's too focused on television. He's toxic. He's sensitive. He's only concerned about the money. He's a loose cannon.
Denver traded him because of a practice rant that earned him a suspension. Miami dealt him following feuds with quarterback Chad Henne, a swing in production and a deck-clearing aimed at luring Peyton Manning. Chicago is dealing him after a high-profile locker room tirade and amidst his expressed desire to continue reporting on mental health in the NFL.
To say Marshall hasn't gotten a chance is unfair. But maybe he just hasn't had the right one.
In New York, Marshall will be submerged into a market he's desired to play in. He'll be motivated after watching his name get dragged through the sod on his way out of Chicago. He'll be comfortable with Todd Bowles, a coach who has overlapped with Marshall during a previous stint with the Dolphins and who has a reputation for leveling with his players.
For a fifth-round pick, it was well worth the gamble.
Jets fans still chided from a tumultuous recent past will think back to the second incarnation of the "Flight Boys," a trio that replaced quarterback-friendly options like Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery for the mercurial platoon of Plaxico Burress, Santonio Holmes and Derrick Mason.
Mark Sanchez, a quarterback already on the brink, never stood a chance under the weight of those personalities. Won't the same happen to Geno Smith, or whomever is drafted to replace him?
This is why the trade hinges on Bowles, who can act with the hindsight and personal care that Rex Ryan was never able to.
He can force the two to spend more time together. He can monitor relationships and ensure that Smith feels no pressure to get Marshall the ball (I know, I know, not an easy thing to do). He can be the players' coach he sold himself as, and he can get a receiver just one season removed from 1,295 yards, 12 touchdowns and a Pro Bowl.
Marshall will only be 31 when the season starts and he'll still be every bit of 6-foot-4; a dominant deep-ball presence when healthy and a formidable target inside the 20-yard line.
He might be thought of as too sensitive, or a loose cannon. He might put his spare time into television, but under Bowles, he's well worth finding out if there's a right fit left.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast breaks down the Brandon Marshall trade and plays another game of "Go Get My Lunch." Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
