By Perry Lefko

SPORTSNET.CA

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are aggressively trying to sign free-agent running back Kenton Keith, Sportsnet.ca has learned.

The Ticats have offered Keith a multi-year contract with financial terms that are said to be quite enticing. In fact, Keith is said to be giving strong consideration to the offer.

It’s just a question of whether Keith wants to take the money and run -- literally -- because his heart is said to still be in Saskatchewan, where he played for five years beginning in 2002 and has strong family ties. During that time he married a Regina woman, with whom they have a child, and Keith’s in-laws live in Regina.

Keith’s agent, Jason Medlock, told Sportsnet.ca two weeks ago that he wanted to make Keith the highest-paid running back in the Canadian Football League. The Toronto Argonauts tabled an offer that was said to work out to $160,000 a season with a signing bonus between close to $40,000.

However, the deal subsequently fell apart.

But now the Ticats have stepped into the bidding in a big way.

If the Ticats are successful in signing Keith, it would be their second major signing in two years. Last year, they signed free-agent quarterback Casey Printers, who is also represented by Medlock, to a multi-year deal with an annual salary of $500,000, making him the highest-paid player in the CFL.

The Ticats have the best overall running game in the CFL, but their primary back, Jesse Lumsden, has been plagued by various injuries in two successive seasons. Lumsden sits fourth overall in league rushing with 586 yards, but at one point was first overall. He is currently listed as day-to-day with a shoulder injury. He missed three games this year with an ankle injury. Last year he had his season cut short with five games to go in the regular season because of a shoulder injury that required off-season surgery. It’s the same shoulder he injured in a game last week, but this injury is not as serious.

The Ticats also have some talented backups in Terry Caulley, who is eighth overall in league rushing with 402 yards, and rookie Tre Smith, who has 299 yards. In addition, Hamilton’s quarterbacks, Printers and backup Richie Williams are 12th and 13th, respectively, in league rushing.

Acquiring Keith, however, would be seen as a major coup by the Ticats, who are currently last in the CFL with a 2-9 record but still believe they have a chance to make the playoffs.

The team recently changed coaches, replacing Charlie Taaffe with Marcel Bellefeuille, who was the offensive co-ordinator with the Roughriders in 2006, in which Keith was voted the Most Outstanding Player in the West Division. He totalled 1,037 rushing yards on 167 carries and 408 receiving yards from 30 catches. Overall, he had five touchdowns.

Keith used that season as a springboard to the National Football League signing with the Indianapolis Colts and did well enough to become the team’s No. 2 back. He posted 553 rushing yards on 121 carries and 77 receiving yards from 13 catches. He totalled four touchdowns overall.

A hip injury slowed down his progress this year in pre-season, which combined with some moves the team made to improve their running game led to his release. He was given a two-week injury settlement.