Macik not selected in NFL draft

Penn receiverPenn receiverlooking to signPenn receiverlooking to signas a free agent Senior Miles Macik, the All-American wide receiver who helped lead the Quakers to a 26-3 mark and two Ivy championships in his three years of varsity football at Penn, was not drafted in this weekend's seven-round National Football League entry draft. "I wasn't sure what was going to happen," Macik said. "I was hoping to be a late-round draft choice." Macik still hopes to sign with an NFL team as a free-agent, and that agent -- John Macik, his cousin -- was talking to several NFL teams yesterday. Macik added that he probably will find out in the next day which NFL teams, if any, are interested in him. What might have hurt Macik was the draft's depth at the wide receiver position, which was generally thought to be the strongest position in this year's collegiate crop. Of the 254 players selected over the weekend, 33 were receivers, including five first-rounders and six second-rounders. Macik, however, discounted speculation that the depth at his position hurt his stock. "It's hard to say," Macik said. "Just because it was a strong year for wide receivers doesn't mean that it would necessary hurt me, that I'm not going to get a chance." Macik tried out with 10 NFL teams -- Carolina, Detroit, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, Minnesota, Green Bay, Tampa Bay, Baltimore and the New York Giants -- before the draft and said he thought the workouts went "pretty well". "I'm in the best shape of my life," said Macik, who added that he weighs nearly 215 pounds -- 15 more than he was listed at during his senior year -- and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.67 seconds. Macik, a 6-foot-4 receiver known for his glue-like hands, set an Ivy League record with 200 catches in his three years of varsity football. A three-time first-team all-Ivy selection, Macik is also second in Penn history in receiving yards with 2,365 -- just 54 yards short of Don Clune's mark of 2,419 yards, set from 1971 to 1973. For now, Macik is in a waiting game that could work out in his favor. If more than one team requests his services, Macik would have some leverage in terms of salary. If he was drafted, he could only negotiate with that team. Macik also has the benefit of signing with a team where he felt he could receive the most playing time. If he had been drafted by a team with a deep receiving corps, Macik may have been cut or relegated to practice squad duty. Macik recognized that not getting drafted may turn out for best. "I'm pretty positive about the whole thing," Macik said. "I'm just waiting to get my shot."

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