Josh Edwards· Aug 27, 2026
A (first-person, unbylined in the provided text) CBS Sports piece identifying one bottom-of-roster hole each NFL team could patch before final cuts; along the way it names several teams' presumed starters heading into the season.
“The exercise is not necessarily each team's biggest need but rather one bottom-of-the-roster hole each team could still patch ahead of the regular season.”
published in writing · CBS Sports · read the original →
13 checkable claims — 13 depth chart calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 19 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 10 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room on every one.
Where do you stand? Pick this and every open claim on Picks →
Who this take is about
13 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.
Carlton Davis III to be 1st on the depth chart
“New England has a strong collection of starters with Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis III and Marcus Jones.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Depth Chart CallsJamien SherwoodNew York JetsAug 27, 2026
Jamien Sherwood to be 1st on the depth chart
“New York may receive diminished returns from starting linebackers Demario Davis and Jamien Sherwood.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Depth Chart CallsAlex SingletonDenver BroncosAug 27, 2026
Alex Singleton to be 1st on the depth chart
“Seventh-round pick Red Murdock headlines the depth behind starters Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Depth Chart CallsJustin StrnadDenver BroncosAug 27, 2026
Justin Strnad to be 1st on the depth chart
“Seventh-round pick Red Murdock headlines the depth behind starters Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Depth Chart CallsTykee SmithTampa Bay BuccaneersAug 27, 2026
Tykee Smith to be 1st on the depth chart
“The Buccaneers could bring in competition at safety behind Tykee Smith and Antoine Winfield Jr.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Depth Chart CallsDallas TurnerMinnesota VikingsAug 27, 2026
Dallas Turner to be 1st on the depth chart
“it is time for former first-round pick Dallas Turner to deliver on the investment in him, but it is essentially undrafted free agents galore behind those two players”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Depth Chart CallsDemario DavisNew York JetsAug 27, 2026
Demario Davis to be 1st on the depth chart
“New York may receive diminished returns from starting linebackers Demario Davis and Jamien Sherwood.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Marcus Jones to be 1st on the depth chart
“New England has a strong collection of starters with Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis III and Marcus Jones.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Depth Chart CallsRiq WoolenPhiladelphia EaglesAug 27, 2026
Riq Woolen to be 1st on the depth chart
“Riq Woolen should bring accountability opposite Quinyon Mitchell, but the team felt the need to invest in the position”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Christian Gonzalez to be 1st on the depth chart
“New England has a strong collection of starters with Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis III and Marcus Jones.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Andrew Van Ginkel to be 1st on the depth chart
“Andrew Van Ginkel has performed well ... but it is essentially undrafted free agents galore behind those two players.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Quinyon Mitchell to be 1st on the depth chart
“Riq Woolen should bring accountability opposite Quinyon Mitchell”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Antoine Winfield Jr. to be 1st on the depth chart
“The Buccaneers could bring in competition at safety behind Tykee Smith and Antoine Winfield Jr.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Chris SimmsScore Predictions · Minnesota VikingsHit · 90Simms 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.
- Steven RuizGame Outcome Picks · Denver BroncosHit · 100Previewing Week 3, Ruiz picked the Ravens to beat the Cowboys in Brazil, Jacksonville over New England in a low-scoring game, an upset by the Broncos over the Rams, the Raiders over the Saints, the Eagles over the Bears, the Lions over the Jets, and his Hail Mary that Houston beats Indianapolis by two touchdowns.
- Nate TiceGame Outcome Picks · Philadelphia EaglesMiss · 0Tice matched his guest on every Week 3 game, picking the Ravens over the Cowboys, the Jaguars over the Patriots in a close game, the Broncos to upset the Rams, the Raiders over the Saints, the Eagles over the Bears and the Lions over the Jets.
- Sam MonsonGame Outcome Picks · Minnesota VikingsHit · 100Monson picked the Chargers to beat the Bills outright (jokingly crediting Buffalo's gray 'Nickel City' jerseys), took the Vikings to win outright in Tampa, and said Seattle would destroy Washington. He also reiterated his Super Bowl pick of Denver over the Rams, called the Dolphins destined for the No. 1 overall pick, and said the Saints are a worst-to-first candidate in the NFC South.
- 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.
- Matt HarmonScore Predictions · Philadelphia EaglesHit · 100Harmon picked the Bengals to beat the Texans in Week 2, expecting Nico Collins to miss the game with a hamstring injury, and also predicted the Titans would be shut out by the Eagles. He took the Rams over the Giants, the Bears over the Vikings, and the Jaguars at Denver.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Fox SportsDepth Chart Calls · Michael Penix Jr.Hit · 100Fox Sports states that a healthy Tua Tagovailoa will serve as Atlanta's backup quarterback in Week 3, with Michael Penix Jr. handling the starting duties against Green Bay.
- Matt SeveranceDepth Chart Calls · Deshaun WatsonHit · 100The CBS Sports preview backs Tampa Bay to beat Cleveland in the Bucs' Week 2 home opener, and states that Deshaun Watson — not Shedeur Sanders — will be Cleveland's starting quarterback in Week 2.
- Rafael ZamoranoDepth Chart Calls · Deshaun WatsonHit · 100Zamorano reports Watson will start Week 2 at Tampa Bay and suggests there's little reason to expect improvement, raising the possibility Watson's five-year contract never yields more than single-digit wins.
- Rich HribarDepth Chart Calls · Tua TagovailoaMiss · 0Hribar expects Tua Tagovailoa to be Atlanta's starting quarterback for Week 2 while Michael Penix stays out, with Penix's return closer to Week 4. He is unenthusiastic about the Falcons' offense either way and treats Bryce Young as a fringe fantasy starter.
- Tyler SullivanDepth Chart Calls · Michael Penix Jr.Miss · 0In a Week 1 recap with no named byline, CBS Sports suggested Michael Penix Jr. would take over as Atlanta's Week 2 starter if healthy, called Ashton Jeanty's sophomore breakout imminent, and warned readers not to overlook San Francisco as NFC West winners.
- Pat FitzmauriceDepth Chart Calls · Rashod BatemanMiss · 0In his Week 2 waiver wire column, Fitzmaurice recommends a slate of pickups he expects to outperform their current rostership (Kaelon Black, Deebo Samuel, Tyler Shough, Geno Smith and others), lays out several depth-chart expectations (Black as the 49ers' No. 2 back, Shedeur Sanders eventually taking over in Cleveland, Penix returning for Atlanta), and flags Fool's Gold/drop candidates such as Mike Gesicki, Kendrick Bourne and Rashid Shaheed.