Diagonals Guru: In times of crisis you see true character

MIAMI – In times of crisis, you see the true character of the people.

When victories pile up, we all hold hands and sing in unison, but when adversity hits you, few individuals can hold fast to its principles.

Historically, talent surpasses everything in the NFL. There are plenty of examples and there are endless in which the league decides to look the other way and leave morale aside in order to have a player who can help them achieve the maximum achievement.

Times, however, are changing and although extremes are never good, I understand that there are those who think that the “culture of cancellation” is not good and that an excessive sensitivity is installed in society. I am not interested in general labels and each individual case would have to be analyzed separately.

Now, there is no doubt that society today tolerates fewer sins of the past that had become routine and that is good. Change always produces shock, but information is power and most modifications prove positive over time, which leads to the empowerment of the players.

In a world of millionaires against multi millionaires, it is generally the seconds that end up imposing their will.

Regardless of who pays the salaries, the players are the reason why the fans tune in to the games and I love that they gradually gain a more leading place. Now, there is a difference between empowerment and displaying questionable character.

Catcher Odell Beckham Jr. was cut by the Cleveland Browns after his father posted a video criticizing their quarterback Baker Mayfield.

We can sit down to debate whether or not Mayfield is the answer for the future for Cleveland or whether Beckham fit in with this offense or not, but, in my opinion, your father posting such a video crosses the line of betraying a teammate. .

Mayfield is also looking for his next contract and, essentially, with that action you decide to criticize him publicly instead of meeting with him in private to force your exit no matter how this affects the rest of your colleagues and before anyone tells me it was his father and not the player, you can be sure that this was a coordinated effort with LeBron James tweet included and that Beckham Jr. knew what his father was going to post beforehand and as of today, the receiver has not yet called Mayfield to ask him sorry.

The most incredible thing is that it is not the first time that has happened to him, because Odell did not leave the Giants well either.

No one can deny that Beckham Jr. is talented and that incredible one-handed catch still lives in our retinas, but neither can it be denied that his character is questionable. If he went bad for the Giants and he went bad for the Browns, maybe the problem is him.

In 2018 and 2019, he surpassed 1,000 receiving yards, but last year he dealt with injuries and this season’s production has been well below expectations. The next season is going to be 30 years old and although someone was claiming it for waivers, that team was going to have to pay them $ 7.5 million for, essentially, a rental and the list of interested teams was not as long as many imagined.

If I were a candidate team, I would not contract it by a miracle, because there are more headaches than production at the moment. Although if it is short-term and at a low price, I would understand the interest of for example the Patriots and Saints, who require more explosiveness in the corps of receivers.

At the same time, it is curious that with this storm on the horizon, the management of the Browns has not finalized a change days before to, at least, get something in return; they deserve criticism for how they handled this situation.

The trade deadline went without much noise after so many threats in the previous one. Quarterback Deshaun Watson, who still has 22 open civil cases, is staying with the Houston Texans, which makes all the logic in the world.

There were many rumors linking the Dolphins to Watson, but the reality is that Miami was not going to make the move until it was more clear about the passer’s legal status. In fact, the Texans and the NFL gave Dolphins owner Stephen Ross permission to speak with Watson.

Essentially, Ross told Watson that if he reached an agreement with all the plaintiffs, the change would be made. Houston learned of the Dolphins’ intent and they raised the price, at which point Miami was taken out of the equation. In addition, we would later learn that several of the Watson plaintiffs are not interested in a financial settlement.

It is very possible that the talks will resume again in the offseason, although neither the Dolphins nor another team will sign him unless they are clear about his legal situation.

In sports, Watson is one of the most talented players in the league, who also plays in the most influential position, so we will see how that line of morale will blur again.

Watson will play for another team next season and since he has a no-trade clause, the Dolphins are still the most viable option, but in an era where for some reason that I find it difficult to understand, many journalists want to be first instead of giving information. Truthful, we saw a wave of rumors and incorrect claims.

The name that caused the most buzz on the trade deadline was Von Miller, who was traded from the Denver Broncos to the Los Angeles Rams for a second-round pick and a third-round pick in the next draft.

Since entering the NFL, no one has sacked more than Miller and the same can be said for Aaron Donald. There is no doubt that while Miller is no longer one of the best five pass rushers in the league, he still has a lot to contribute and the Rams’ defense takes a significant leap in quality.

Teams that can score quickly and put pressure on the opposing quarterback often have a successful formula on their hands.

There are those who criticize the Rams, because they think they paid too much for essentially rent, but I applaud the Los Angeles franchise.

The windows of success in the NFL are very small and I like when the franchises are aggressive in pursuit of glory. It’s what every fan of their team would like to do, even if it doesn’t work out later.

No fight in which you don’t even try to hit will be won and the Rams think this is their year.

In my opinion, they are the most complete team in the NFL and perhaps the only question is how Matthew Stafford will react in playoff games, given that the quarterback has never won a postseason game.

More than in any position, character and leadership skills are vital for every quarterback. Leaders of men are needed, because talent is not always enough, even if it is the most important facet.

Therefore, today I leave you with one of the favorite moments of this century: MATTHEW STAFFORD BEING THE HERO DESPITE HIS INJURY IN DETROIT.

* Home teams are second