Lions running back Kevin Smith will be a restricted free agent this offseason (if the old rules of the CBA carry over), which means the Lions can tender him and receive draft pick compensation should another team sign him instead. Smith, who is from Miami and played at Central Florida, apparently told Dolphins reporter Omar Kelly recently that he wanted the Dolphins to "come get me." At least that's what Omar Kelly tweeted Smith said to him.
↵Whether Smith said it or not, of course he was going to refute it:
↵↵↵"Man, people can write anything," Smith said by phone from South Florida.
↵Smith said he was working out in a local gym and "some guy" started talking to him. Smith said he recognized Kelly from his days of playing in Florida.
↵"I guess he was looking for a story," Smith said. "I have a contract and I am happy to be where I am at. That is what it boils down to. I told him I was not doing a story on my free agency and he went ahead and tweeted something."
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Smith rushed for a career low 133 yards this year due to injuries. He was inactive for the first few weeks of the season while he recovered from knee surgery and then was lost for the rest of the season after Week 9 due to shoulder and thumb injuries that required surgery.
↵Smith's injuries raise legitimate questions as to whether or not he'd be a smart investment. And, if Smith is not back with the Lions next year, it's likely his hometown is exactly where he'd want to wind up for a chance at a fresh start. However, until that decision is made, Smith seems to be saying all the right things to the media for the time being. If I were Smith, I'd just blame Kelly's tweet on a big misunderstanding, like the new Dwyane Wade T-Mobile commercial.