Just as the 10 a.m. signing period for undrafted free agents is opening, there is another piece of Detroit Lions news to report. Via his Twitter account, the Lions are planning to sign Purdue wide receiver Keith Smith.
Smith broke the news by asking former Purdue player and current Lion Cliff Avril if he will be in Detroit when Smith gets there. Avril responded by asking if Detroit signed Smith, and Smith said yes and that he will be flying into Detroit this evening.
Smith originally was hoping to stay at Purdue for another year, but the NCAA denied his request for a sixth year of eligibility. The request came after Smith tore his ACL and MCL in the second game of the 2010 season. He was out for the year and was looking to get another season with the Boilermakers, but the NCAA said no.
Before his knee injury, Smith had 18 receptions and 123 yards in 2010. A year earlier he had 91 receptions for 1100 yards and six touchdowns. He had 49 receptions for 486 yards and two touchdowns in 2008.