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CFL Point/Counterpoint: Who will the Argos sign: Kenton Keith or Jesse Lumsden?

Chris Powell & Jonathan Hamelin • May 13, 2010 • Comments (1)

We all understand that people have different opinions and we at CFL Daily Dose are no different, which is why we started CFL Point/Counterpoint. For each CFL Point/Counterpoint, two authors will present their cases and you decide who’s right.

This week we tackle an issue that has been the subject of much debate: Who will the Argos sign: Kenton Keith or Jesse Lumsden?

Kenton Keith is the man

by Chris Powell

To me the choice here is obvious. The Argos need a running back and Kenton Keith is the man they need. Keith has been in the CFL for the same amount of time that Lumsden has and has two times the yards and touchdowns that Lumsden has. The choice is clear, the Argos need Kenton Keith.

Kenton Keith is the obvious choice for a team, especially the Argonauts, looking for a starting running back.

Keith would go in as the obvious starter and would also be an excellent mentor for the Argos young RB corp. His presence immediately upgrades the offence by giving them a 1,000 yard back to take the pressure off of the passing game.

Currently the Argos best (most prolific) running back is Jeff Johnson who has 771 yards over his 10 year career, for an average of a whopping 77.1 yards per season. Stats aside, Johnson is 33 years old, which for a running back is practically ancient. Their other five backs combined have 9 years of experience between them and a total of 138 yards. The Argos NEED a starting running back. They can’t afford not to sign Keith.

Keith is also an asset in the passing game with over 1200 yards receiving (averaging 250.4 receiving yards per season).

Keith’s quickness and speed have allowed him to burn past defenders rather than powering through them as Lumsden has done in his career, leaving him in good shape to rack up several more solid seasons before Toronto needs to start shopping for a replacement, if one of their rookie RB’s doesn’t stand out as a solid starter.

Keith’s downside is that he wants to play in the NFL, and has signed with both the Jets (cut before the season in 2004) and with the Colts (where he was the third back in a talented backfield in 2007). This could cause the Argos to look to Lumsden but that would be a mistake.

Kenton has also worked up a bit of a reputation as a bad boy, with rumors of a bad attitude while he was in Saskatchewan, and his arrest in Indianapolis, but over the course of his career those tendencies have been the exception rather than the rule and shouldn’t factor much in Toronto’s choice to sign him.

Durability is also a factor in this choice. Why would you pay someone to be your starting running back when they can’t finish a season? Granted, Keith missed most of last season due to injury, but what football player doesn’t get hurt. I would rather have a running back that has missed a season once rather than a running back that has yet to finish a season in his entire career.

Who would you choose, a two-time West Division All-Star, and the 2006 West Division Most Outstanding Player, or a one time East Division All-Star coming off shoulder surgery?

I’ll take Keith, and the wins he brings, over Lumsden, and the hospital bills he’ll rack up.

Jesse Lumsden is worth the risk, Kenton Keith is not

by Jonathan Hamelin

Kenton Keith may have had more success in the CFL in the past, but Jesse Lumsden offers the Toronto Argonauts the greatest hope for the future.

Lumsden is a better team player and more of a power back than Keith. He is well worth the risk for Toronto.

With both running backs released recently, many wonder who the Argonauts, who need a star running back, will sign. I believe this running back should be Lumsden.

Though he has been through a lot of injuries, Lumsden clearly still has the will to play, as evident in his comments here. This means that Lumsden would not cost a lot of money to sign, and with his NFL aspirations all but dead, he would be dedicated to helping Toronto win ball games. Can the same be said about Keith?

It has been speculated that Keith wasn’t exactly a team player in Saskatchewan. Furthermore, Keith was arrested outside an Indianapolis nightclub in 2008. When the police told him to quite down, Keith reportedly said that he would not be quite because he played for the Colts. For an Argos squad looking to develop a team mentality, is Keith really the type of player they want to bring in?

Of course, the hardest argument to face when defending Lumsden is his injury problem. Thanks to injuries, Lumsden has struggled to play a whole season. But, Keith has done no better recently. After returning from the NFL in 2008, Keith only rushed for 102 yards for the Hamilton Tiger Cats in 2008, and then sat out most of the 2009 season due to injury. Lumsden, in contrast, had 584 yards and five touchdowns in 2008 for Hamilton.

Yes, Keith does have an advantage in career numbers. Keith has 3,913 and 21 touchdowns compared to Lumsden’s 1,802 yards and nine touchdowns. However, Keith’s great success came in Saskatchewan, who at that time relied greatly on the run. Keith was running behind lineman like Gene Makowsky, Andrew Greene and Jeremy O’Day. Lumsden was stuck behind Hamilton’s horrid offensive line, yet still managed an impressive 6.3 yard average. Lumsden is better suited for what Toronto is looking for. Keith would struggle running behind Toronto’s average offensive line, while Lumsden’s power would help him shed tacklers.

Toronto has seen first hand what Lumsden can do when healthy. In 2008, Hamilton won two out of three games against Toronto. Lumsden rushed for 293 and two touchdowns in the two games he played in, racking up 189 yards in the week two win. He averaged over eight yards a carry in these games. If Lumsden can get back to this form, he could do great things in Toronto.

The great thing about Lumsden is Toronto does not need to rush him. They are clearly going nowhere this season. If Lumsden is not 100 percent ready, he can spend the year as a backup. If he is never 100 percent, the Argos still will not have wasted a lot of money. If he does get to 100 percent, he will offer Toronto a bigger threat than Keith.

I guess the big question is, what kind of running back does Toronto want? Keith, a running back with a bad attitude whose best success was in the past? Or Lumsden, a running back who wants to play and is one injury-free season away from achieving great success in the league?

It’s got to be Lumsden.

About the Author

Chris and Jonathan are two devout CFL fans who debate a particular point, and then it's up to YOU, the reader, to decide who won the debate.

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