Seth Walder· Aug 12, 2026
Walder proposes five trades he believes should happen before Week 1 of the 2026 season: Jessie Bates III to the 49ers, Kayvon Thibodeaux to the Patriots, Keon Coleman to the Colts, Walker Little to the Cardinals, and Kayshon Boutte to the Commanders, where he says Boutte would immediately be Washington's No. 2 receiver.
“Here are five trades that should happen before Week 1.”
published in writing · read the original →
6 checkable claims — 5 trade and signing calls and 1 depth chart call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 10 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
1 of 6 have settled so far, averaging 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess at the same calls.
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Who this take is about
6 checkable claims in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
Kayshon Boutte to move to Washington Commanders
“Commanders receive: WR Kayshon Boutte; Patriots receive: 2027 fifth-round pick -- "it's very plausible the Patriots deal him"”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 0+0 skillHow this was scored
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Kayshon Boutte
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- WAS
- was with:
- NE
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 0
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he stays where he is
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- ended up with:
- HOU
- weeks left when called:
- 18
Walker Little to move to Arizona Cardinals
“Cardinals receive: OT Walker Little, 2027 seventh-round pick; Jaguars receive: 2027 sixth-round pick”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Keon Coleman to move to Indianapolis Colts
“Colts receive: WR Keon Coleman, 2028 sixth-round pick; Bills receive: 2027 fourth-round pick -- "the Colts would be a logical candidate to bet on Coleman at a reduced cost."”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Kayvon Thibodeaux to move to New England Patriots
“Patriots receive: Edge Kayvon Thibodeaux, 2027 fifth-round pick; Giants receive: 2027 third-round pick -- "he's now an even more obvious candidate to be dealt."”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Kayshon Boutte to be 2nd on the depth chart
“Boutte might not be perfect but would likely be their No. 2 right away.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Jessie Bates to move to San Francisco 49ers
“49ers receive: S Jessie Bates III, 2028 sixth-round pick; Falcons receive: 2027 third-round pick -- "So it's better for Atlanta to deal him now."”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Chris SimmsScore Predictions · San Francisco 49ersHit · 88Simms went through the entire Week 3 slate with straight-up winners and predicted final scores, taking Jacksonville, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle, the Giants, Baltimore, New Orleans, Minnesota, San Francisco, Denver and Philadelphia. He also expected Zay Flowers and Puka Nacua to sit, Kyler Murray to play, and said Marvin Harrison Jr. projects as no better than a good No. 2 or high-end No. 3 receiver.
- Nate TiceGame Outcome Picks · New England PatriotsHit · 100Tice picked the Bengals over the Texans in a low-scoring game, the Jaguars at Denver, the Bears over the Vikings, the Patriots over the Steelers and the Rams to edge the Giants, and his Hail Mary was the Cowboys scoring 40 on Washington. He also floated Abdul Carter as a possible All-Pro.
- Richie BradshawScore Predictions · San Francisco 49ersHit · 83Bradshaw picks the 49ers to beat the Cardinals in their Week 3 matchup, predicting a final score of 27-14 in San Francisco's favor.
- Chris BroussardGame Outcome Picks · New England PatriotsMiss · 0Broussard picked the Bills to beat the Chargers in a competitive, higher-scoring game, said the Chiefs will rout the Dolphins, and for upset alert parlayed the Patriots over the Jaguars and the Raiders over the Saints. He also restated his Cowboys-versus-Ravens Super Bowl matchup pick.
- Danny ParkinsGame Outcome Picks · New England PatriotsMiss · 0In the winners-only chips segment Parkins backed the Patriots over the Jaguars, the Bengals over the Steelers and the Ravens over the Cowboys in Brazil. He also said New England has a real shot at a top-10 defense and that Kayshon/Romeo Dobbs will be the Patriots' number one target.
- Richard ShermanScore Predictions · San Francisco 49ersHit · 83Sherman picked winners and several exact scores across the Week 3 slate, favoring Seattle, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Detroit, Green Bay, Carolina, New Orleans, Baltimore, the Rams, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Kansas City, Minnesota, the Giants, Jacksonville and Houston, and named Kenneth Walker his MVP.
More trade and signing calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Adam CarlsonTrade and Signing Calls · J.J. McCarthyHit · 100Carlson names three Vikings he expects could be traded before the end of September: quarterback J.J. McCarthy, wide receiver Jordan Addison and linebacker Ivan Pace.
- Greg AumanTrade and Signing Calls · J.J. McCarthyHit · 100Auman argues no quarterback is likely to replicate Sam Darnold's turnaround this season, but names five candidates. He expects Miami to hold a very high pick in the 2027 draft, and thinks J.J. McCarthy will eventually be traded for a late-round pick or cut by the Vikings.
- Bucky BrooksTrade and Signing Calls · J.J. McCarthyHit · 100Brooks predicted J.J. McCarthy won't be on the Vikings' roster (traded or released), said Kyler Murray wins the Vikings' QB competition, made a series of 2025 award picks, made 2026 Heisman/draft projections including Arch Manning as the front-runner for the No. 1 overall pick, and said none of Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen or Joe Burrow win a championship this season.
- Bryan DeArdoTrade and Signing Calls · J.J. McCarthyHit · 100Named several players as candidates to be traded before Sunday's cut deadline, including Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy, Cardinals edge Josh Sweat and Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
- Bryan DeArdoTrade and Signing Calls · J.J. McCarthyHit · 100A CBS Sports piece lists veterans it expects could be traded before the 53-man roster deadline, including quarterbacks Anthony Richardson (with Buffalo floated as a landing spot), J.J. McCarthy and Will Howard, plus Jerry Jeudy, Joey Porter Jr., Tyrone Tracy Jr., Kayvon Thibodeaux, Josh Sweat, Kristian Fulton and Marist Liufau. It also says Mason Rudolph's and Drew Allar's roster spots in Pittsburgh are secure.
- Matthew CollerTrade and Signing Calls · J.J. McCarthyHit · 100Coller argues J.J. McCarthy's development is far behind schedule and that he will likely end up needing a fresh start with another team rather than developing into the Vikings' answer at quarterback.