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Having spent much of his 22 years shagging laser-beam passes from his more famous older brother, Miami Dolphins rookie Marcus Vick might get an opportunity on Monday night to demonstrate that he really does possess the superior receiving ability that has been the subject of considerable good-natured boasting. The brother of Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick has yet to appear in a game this season. But with wide receiver Marty Booker nursing a sprained right ankle, there is a good chance that the younger Vick will get some snaps at a position he played only sparingly at Virginia Tech, when the Dolphins face the New York Jets on Christmas night. Coach Nick Saban said over the weekend that, if Booker is unavailable, Vick will dress as the Dolphins' fourth wide receiver. It's a Christmas present for which Vick has been waiting. "We want to get him onto the field," Saban said. "He's done a good job in practices. He's a good athlete. But we'd like to see how all that translates into [a game]. That's the best way to evaluate. You like to see how a player responds when the lights come on." Signed as an undrafted college free agent in May, after an inconsistent college career interrupted by a one-year suspension and then terminated when he was permanently dismissed by school officials, Vick said he is more than ready to display his skills. Even if that means playing a relatively new position. "I don't care what they want me to do, [because] I'm ready to do it," Vick said. "There are a lot of things to learn about playing wide receiver at this level. I'm just trying to [absorb] it all." The divisional matchup is a critical one for the Jets, who have performed well for first-year head coach Eric Mangini, and who remain in the AFC wild card race. The Dolphins are out of the postseason chase, and will use the final two games, at least in part, to get a look at some younger players, such as Vick. Like his older brother, Vick was a quarterback at Virginia Tech, playing wide receiver only during the Insight Bowl following his sophomore campaign. But the Dolphins signed him as an athlete, assessing his skills were too good to overlook, and figuring they'd find a position for him later. In camp, Vick worked at quarterback, wide receiver and as a return specialist. Vick started the season on the practice squad, then was elevated to the active roster after six weeks. For the ensuing eight weeks, he was the No. 3 or "emergency" quarterback for the Dolphins. When the team signed veteran Shane Matthews as its third quarterback, Vick was able to get more practice snaps at the wide receiver position. "The bottom line is," Vick said, "can you catch the football? And I've been doing that most of my life." Len Pasquarelli is an NFL senior writer for ESPN.com.
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