National Football League

Vick could shine in Wildcat offense

Published Jul. 15, 2009 6:56 a.m. ET

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Yes, yes, I know: If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, Michael Vick would have his own section at Whole Foods. The man's football career is a bundle of hypotheticals right now:

If he is released from home confinement and federal custody July 20 ... if he convinces NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to reinstate him ... if he is still a freakish athlete after two years away from the game ...




If, if, if. I get it. But this is about another if:

What if Michael Vick still has it? What if he is the difference between making the playoffs and missing them — or even making the Super Bowl and missing it?

Maybe that sounds crazy. But ... well, here are some more ifs: if you saw what the wildcat formation did for Miami last year, and if you've seen Vick at his breathtaking best...

Michael Vick should play in the NFL this fall, and he could help some team win. Vick's reinstatement is no guarantee. He will have to show he is contrite, but he has had a long time to practice contrition. He has served his time for his dogfighting operation. What he did was heinous, and maybe you think he should have gone to jail for even longer, but the fact is he'll be a free man, and should be free to play in the NFL. Two years away from the game is punishment enough.

And if Vick is reinstated ... well, I'm not suggesting anybody hand him a starting quarterback job. That would be foolish. But the NFL is a fine-line league — the difference between 6-10 and 10-6 is often just a few plays, a little luck or an injury or two. It is possible to make the playoffs with basically half a team — a great defense and below-average offense. And for a team like that, Vick could be a difference-maker.

For the first time since he was a freshman at Virginia Tech, Michael Vick might be underrated. He is only 29 years old. In his last NFL season, in 2006, he rushed for more than 1,000 yards and averaged 8.4 yards per carry.

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