Mike MoraitisAug 14, 2026
Moraitis argues Ruben Hyppolite is at real risk of being cut, names T.J. Edwards, Devin Bush, D'Marco Jackson (and a healthy Keyshaun Elliott) as locks at linebacker, says Braxton Jones is the clear favorite to start at left tackle with Amegadjie and Wills fighting for a backup job (the loser possibly cut), and believes Scotty Miller has the edge over Kaden Davis for the final receiver spot.
Published in writing · Sports IllustratedRead the original
What Mike Moraitis said
Hyppolite needs to show out throughout the preseason or he could get the boot.
- Where it was published
- Sports Illustrated
- The piece
- 4 Bears Players Fighting for a Roster Spot Who Need a Strong Performance vs. Browns
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidAug 14
- GradedSep 25
Box score, by kind
HitCloseMissWaiting| Group | Hits | Close | Misses | Waiting | Calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster Spot Calls | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Depth Chart Calls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| All | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
How each call scored
10 checkable claims — 8 roster spot calls and 2 depth chart calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 11 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
8 of 10 have settled so far, averaging 100 out of 100, against 87.5 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Where this call stands in the room
Braxton Jones · 2026 season10 calls from 10 pundits between 1 and 1. Mike Moraitis said 1. the room's median is 1. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
Roster Spot Calls8 hitsShow ▸Hide ▾
Luther Burden III to make the roster
“The Bears have five wide receivers locked in with Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, Kalif Raymond, Jadhae Walker and Zavion Thomas”
3 weeks on a 53100Hit100 − 100 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- CHI
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Luther Burden III
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks on the53:
- 3
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
D'Marco Jackson to make the roster
“At linebacker, Chicago has T.J. Edwards, Devin Bush and D'Marco Jackson locked into the 53-man roster”
3 weeks on a 53100Hit100 − 100 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- CHI
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- D'Marco Jackson
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks on the53:
- 3
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
Jahdae Walker to make the roster
“The Bears have five wide receivers locked in with Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, Kalif Raymond, Jadhae Walker and Zavion Thomas”
3 weeks on a 53100Hit100 − 100 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- CHI
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Jahdae Walker
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks on the53:
- 3
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
Zavion Thomas to make the roster
“The Bears have five wide receivers locked in with Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, Kalif Raymond, Jadhae Walker and Zavion Thomas”
3 weeks on a 53100Hit100 − 0 naive = 100 × 2 difficulty = +200 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- CHI
- skill:
- 200
- player:
- Zavion Thomas
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 0
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks on the53:
- 3
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
Rome Odunze to make the roster
“The Bears have five wide receivers locked in with Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, Kalif Raymond, Jadhae Walker and Zavion Thomas”
3 weeks on a 53100Hit100 − 100 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- CHI
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Rome Odunze
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks on the53:
- 3
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
T.J. Edwards to make the roster
“At linebacker, Chicago has T.J. Edwards, Devin Bush and D'Marco Jackson locked into the 53-man roster”
3 weeks on a 53100Hit100 − 100 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- CHI
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- T.J. Edwards
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks on the53:
- 3
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
Devin Bush to make the roster
“At linebacker, Chicago has T.J. Edwards, Devin Bush and D'Marco Jackson locked into the 53-man roster”
3 weeks on a 53100Hit100 − 100 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- CHI
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Devin Bush
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks on the53:
- 3
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
Kalif Raymond to make the roster
“The Bears have five wide receivers locked in with Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, Kalif Raymond, Jadhae Walker and Zavion Thomas”
3 weeks on a 53100Hit100 − 100 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- CHI
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Kalif Raymond
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks on the53:
- 3
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
Depth Chart Calls2 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Scott Miller to be 6th on the depth chart
“which is why we think Scotty Miller has a leg up for the WR6 job”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Braxton Jones to be 1st on the depth chart
“Amegadjie and Wills are competing for the starting left tackle job with Braxton Jones, but Jones is clearly the favorite so the two veterans are really competing for a backup job at this point.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
John Middlekauff · Draft Bust Calls · Caleb Williams · Miss 0
Middlekauff expects either Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson to win this year's MVP, calling them the two best players in the league. They are pessimistic on the Bears, forecasting six or seven wins and saying they'd bet Caleb Williams doesn't work out as a franchise quarterback. They also see Oklahoma's John Mattier as a first-round pick who'll be in the Heisman mix.Bryan DeArdo · Score Predictions · Chicago Bears · Hit 98
DeArdo picks the Bears to beat the Buccaneers on Sunday night in a defensive game, predicting a 20-16 final score.Danny Parkins · Game Outcome Picks · Chicago Bears · Hit 100
Parkins named the seven AFC teams they believe are already set as the playoff field, expects Chicago, Buffalo and Kansas City to win this week, took Green Bay over New England and Atlanta over Cincinnati outright, and kept Bills–Bears as their Super Bowl matchup with the Giants still winning the NFC East.“Stanford Steve” Coughlin · Game Outcome Picks · Chicago Bears · Hit 100
Stanford Steve said the Bears would beat the Buccaneers on Sunday night, and called a player they referred to as "Yakis" their Rookie of the Year.Chris Simms · Score Predictions · Chicago Bears · Hit 98
Simms gave a predicted final score for every Week 9 game, picking the Bengals, Chiefs, Broncos, Lions, Giants, Rams, Cowboys, Saints, 49ers, Patriots, Seahawks, Texans, Bears and Bills, and also said they wouldn't be shocked to see Jacksonville reach the AFC Championship Game.
More roster spot calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Zack Kelberman · Roster Spot Calls · Sean Fresch Jr. · Miss 0
Kelberman expects Sean Fresch Jr. to clear waivers and return to the Broncos' practice squad, sees Riley Moss back from concussion for the Week 11 game at Las Vegas, and projects newly acquired Daiyan Henley to begin as the third inside linebacker behind Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad before likely moving into a starting role.Zack Kelberman · Roster Spot Calls · Sean Fresch Jr. · Miss 0
Kelberman writes that Riley Moss may sit out the preseason finale against Minnesota but should be available for the Week 1 opener at Kansas City; they also suggest undrafted corners Sean Fresch Jr. and Brent Austin are being evaluated for practice squad spots.Chad Jensen · Roster Spot Calls · Jordan Turner · Miss 0
Jensen predicts Daiyan Henley's arrival will cut into Justin Strnad's snaps while Alex Singleton keeps playing virtually every down, and that Denver will return to a three-linebacker rotation after the Week 10 bye. They also expect one of Jordan Turner or Karene Reid — most likely Turner — to be waived to clear a roster spot.Charean Williams · Roster Spot Calls · Odell Beckham Jr. · Miss 0
Williams writes that after releasing Odell Beckham Jr. to open a roster spot for Kirk Cousins, the Vikings will bring them back on the practice squad.