Berg vs. Ferg: Which new addition has made the biggest impact?

Berg vs. Ferg returns for another season on CFL.ca as columnists Pat Steinberg and Marshall Ferguson debate over some of the league’s most contentious storylines. This week they debate over the which off-season additions have made the biggest impact.

Through free agency, various trades and the CFL Draft, the off-season provides plenty of movement across the league and its nine teams.

Some of this year’s moves haven’t quite paid off yet, whether it’s Riders quarterback Zach Collaros, who’s injured, or Bombers veteran receiver Adarius Bowman, who has just eight catches in four games with his new club.

But others have made a significant impact early on, including some who have drastically altered the ability of their respective teams to win games.

In Week 4 we saw James Franklin start his first game with the Argos after being acquired in an off-season trade. Franklin has big shoes to fill in place of the injured Ricky Ray, and is sure to impact his team’s fate while handling football’s most important position.

In Montreal Chris Williams has been a bright spot on a struggling Alouette offence, racking up 283 yards and a touchdown while showing glimpses of the electrifying player we saw with the REDBLACKS in 2016.

The Stampeders have plenty of new additions, from veteran defensive back Emanuel Davis to a familiar face in Eric Rogers, who returned to the franchise after a two-year absence to help lead Calgary to a 3-0 start.

For all the possibilities, Steinberg and Ferguson say Charleston Hughes and Adam Bighill stand out the most. Bighill signed with the Bombers after six seasons in BC, filling a major hole on the team’s defence, while Hughes is one of the prolific defensive ends the league has ever seen and now lines up opposite Willie Jefferson.

Which off-season addition has had the biggest impact? More in the latest Berg vs. Ferg:

BERG (2-3): NO SURPRISE TO SEE HUGHES LEADING THE SACK LIST

Pat Steinberg, CFL.ca
@Fan960Steinberg

To see Charleston Hughes leading the league in sacks is about as commonplace as it gets. After all, Hughes has led the CFL in that category three times already in his outstanding career, including the last two seasons in a row. The only thing that’s a little different in 2018 is the jersey he’s doing it in.

Hughes is no longer terrorizing quarterbacks with the Calgary Stampeders; he’s now a member of the arch rival Saskatchewan Roughriders. With five sacks in four games, Hughes has picked up right where he left off in 2017 when he paced the CFL with 11 sacks in 14 contests. Hughes has transitioned seamlessly into his new surroundings and that’s why he’s made the biggest impact of any newly acquired player this season.

The scary part about Hughes is he’s showing no signs of slowing down. At the age of 34, Hughes looks as strong, athletic, and dynamic as ever and his 57-yard forced fumble recovery touchdown in last week’s 18-13 win over Hamilton showed us. With Willie Jefferson on the other side of Saskatchewan’s defensive line, don’t expect Hughes to slow down at any point this season, either.

I get where Calgary was coming from this off-season. They had a defensive end that had plenty of value on the trade market, but also had a player who was getting into his veteran years. With players like Ja’Gared Davis and Micah Johnson in the fold, the Stamps felt good about their defensive line situation, so they decided to deal from a position of strength.

Calgary’s depth was Saskatchewan’s gain, though. Hughes has just kept on doing what he does and that’s nothing but good news if you’re the Riders.

FERG (3-2): BIGHILL A KEY MISSING PIECE FOR BOMBERS

Marshall Ferguson, CFL.ca
@TSN_Marsh

To me, the definition of full impact addition is one that has the best chance to put a team over the top by being a game changer. Has anyone changed the game from one position more than Adam Bighill so far in 2018?

Bighill has a storied history of playmaking in the CFL and shows no signs of rust or time needed to adjust back to the game he dominated while in BC for six seasons.

I listened to the Bombers radio post-game shows several times last season and fans consistently were concerned about one area of the team’s personnel.

Middle linebacker.

Sam Hurl is a very good football player but he was viewed by many as the weakness of a defence which thrives on turnovers created by a dynamic pass rush and a group of aggressive defensive backs.

As a result of being the perceived weakest link in a relatively above average defence, Hurl was targeted and exploited. That option no longer exists for offences playing against Winnipeg.

If you wish to target Adam Bighill you’ll be putting the ball near a man just as likely to strip the football, intercept it or tackle in open space for a minimal gain.

Bighill’s game is as well-rounded as any linebacker in the Canadian Football League and his arrival in Winnipeg could be the type of impactful addition which fans look back on in November wondering how the heck that guy flew under the relative national media radar before playing such an important role.

When the weather gets colder and every snap means more, my money is on Adam Bighill to become an even more impactful player than he has already been for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

DON’T SIT ON THE FENCE!

While both sides are pretty convincing, someone’s got to take it. Whose argument convinced you the most?

You can vote for this week’s winner both on CFL.ca and Twitter. Meanwhile, continue the conversation by tweeting @Fan960Steinberg and @TSN_Marsh.

The winner will be revealed in the following week’s Berg vs. Ferg.