Life is a wacky, unpredictable amalgam of cause and effect.
Take, for instance, Buffalo Bills receiver Marquise Goodwin.
The speedster spent his offseason prepping for the Olympic long jump trials in early July. Throughout the offseason, coach Rex Ryan cheered Goodwin's effort to represent his country, but lamented the receiver missing practice time, which could have cost him a roster spot.
Had Goodwin made the U.S. Olympic team he would be in Rio right now, preparing to chase a medal. Instead, the 25-year-old's Olympic bid fell short and he's at Bills training camp.
By all accounts, the speedster is making quite the impression.
"What a weapon he is, huh," offensive coordinator Greg Roman said, via the team's official website. "World-class speed. The guy has got a different attitude about him and a different look in his eye this year and I like it. He's showing up every single day. ... He's somebody who is on a mission."
Goodwin is currently running with the first-team offense alongside Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods (slot), per WGR550. He's shot ahead of offseason hype bunny Dezmin Lewis.
Had Goodwin been in Rio he might have struggled to make the roster. Now the No. 3 job appears his to lose.
"The fact that he's here is more to our gain and I get that," Ryan said. "But as an organization, we were unanimous that if he had an opportunity to represent our country that we were all in, but I'm glad he's here now."
The former third-round pick has been a disappointment, catching just three balls over the past two seasons. For his career, Goodwin has just 20 catches for 349 yards and three touchdowns in three years.
Given the Bills' thin receiving corps, Goodwin has a shot to play a legitimate role stretching the field. He might not put up huge fantasy football numbers, but he can influence Buffalo's productivity on offense by opening up the underneath routes for Watkins and Woods.
If Goodwin were in Rio right now, there's no telling how different his future in Buffalo might be.
