Eric Smith to IR; Jordan Lucas added

The Miami Dolphins placed rookie offensive tackle Eric Smith on injured reserve Tuesday because of a knee injury he’s been nursing for the past few weeks.

Smith, an undrafted rookie from Virginia, initially made it onto the Dolphins’ 53-man regular-season roster because of his strong performance in training camp and Miami’s preseason games.

He’ll likely undergo a surgical procedure and spend the rest of the year on the injured reserve list.

Smith wasn’t active for the Dolphins’ first three games because Jesse Davis served as the top backup at both tackle and guard. Sam Young, who also wasn’t active for the first three games, serves as the other backup.

The Dolphins promoted safety Jordan Lucas, a 2014 sixth-round pick, from the practice squad to replace Smith on the 53-man roster.

Lucas, a former Penn State standout, spent all of last season on Miami’s 53-man roster, primarily filling in as a special teams contributor for eight games. Lucas played cornerback last season but was moved to safety this spring, and is still learning that position.

The Dolphins will potentially call on Lucas to serve as a gunner on special teams, covering punt returns.

Lucas’ promotion leaves Miami one vacancy on its 10-member practice squad unit, which will likely be filled on Wednesday.

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