Jared Koch· Aug 25, 2026
Koch argues Kayshon Boutte is a winner in the trade to Houston, likely to see many more snaps and potentially post a career season, while Xavier Hutchinson's path to a breakout gets harder. He also sees Kamari Ramsey stepping up as the primary backup safety behind a top three of Bullock, Pitre and Blankenship, and views Jared Wayne as a fringe roster player squeezed by receivers he calls virtual locks.
“The makings truly could be there for Boutte to have a career season in Houston, and win a ton of games while he's at it.”
published in writing · Sports Illustrated · read the original →
7 checkable claims — 5 roster spot calls and 2 depth chart calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 8 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
1 of 7 have settled so far, averaging 100 out of 100, against 0 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.
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Who this take is about
7 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.
- Roster Spot CallsLewis BondHouston TexansAug 25, 2026
Lewis Bond to make the roster
“four to five virtual roster locks... Lewis Bond, Justin Watson, Sterling Shepard, and Zay Jones”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 0+200 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- HOU
- skill:
- 200
- player:
- Lewis Bond
- 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:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 2
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 2
- Roster Spot CallsSterling ShepardHouston TexansAug 25, 2026
Sterling Shepard to make the roster
“four to five virtual roster locks... Lewis Bond, Justin Watson, Sterling Shepard, and Zay Jones”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Depth Chart CallsKamari RamseyHouston TexansAug 25, 2026
Kamari Ramsey to be 4th on the depth chart
“The Texans have a clear top three in their safety room that'll place ahead of Ramsey on the depth chart: Calen Bullock, Jalen Pitre, and Reed Blankenship... Ramsey becomes the next man up as the primary backup”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Roster Spot CallsJustin WatsonHouston TexansAug 25, 2026
Justin Watson to make the roster
“four to five virtual roster locks... Lewis Bond, Justin Watson, Sterling Shepard, and Zay Jones”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Depth Chart CallsC.J. StroudHouston TexansAug 25, 2026
C.J. Stroud to be 1st on the depth chart
“the Texans' starting quarterback: C.J. Stroud”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Roster Spot CallsTank DellHouston TexansAug 25, 2026
Tank Dell to make the roster
“But with four to five virtual roster locks, depending on Tank Dell's status, Lewis Bond, Justin Watson, Sterling Shepard, and Zay Jones”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Roster Spot CallsZay JonesHouston TexansAug 25, 2026
Zay Jones to make the roster
“four to five virtual roster locks... Lewis Bond, Justin Watson, Sterling Shepard, and Zay Jones”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Chris SimmsScore Predictions · Houston TexansClose · 48Simms 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 · Houston TexansMiss · 0Previewing 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.
- Gregg RosenthalGame Outcome Picks · Houston TexansMiss · 0Outside of his spread picks, Rosenthal referenced his season-long pick of the Texans to win the Super Bowl and said he expects Houston to beat the Colts on Sunday.
- Jordan DajaniScore Predictions · Houston TexansClose · 40Dajani gave final-score predictions for eight Week 3 games, picking the Packers, Bengals, Jaguars, Texans, Buccaneers (upset), Ravens, Broncos (upset) and Eagles to win.
- Jared DubinScore Predictions · Houston TexansClose · 45Dubin gave final-score predictions for the same eight Week 3 games, picking the Packers, Bengals, Jaguars, Texans, Vikings, Ravens, Rams and Eagles.
- Richard ShermanScore Predictions · Houston TexansClose · 48Sherman 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 roster spot calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Jeff KerrRoster Spot Calls · Zach ErtzMiss · 0Kerr expects Zach Ertz to be elevated from the practice squad and play in the Eagles' Week 3 Monday night game against the Bears, and to serve as Philadelphia's clear TE1 with Dallas Goedert out.
- Jeff KerrRoster Spot Calls · Chance CampbellHit · 100Kerr ranks the Eagles' eight undrafted free agents by their chances of making the initial 53-man roster, with Kapena Gushiken the most likely and predicts at least one UDFA makes the 53. He also forecasts practice squad spots for Zion Wilson, Deontae Lawson and Maximus Pulley, and a release for long snapper Rocco Underwood.
- Carter BahnsRoster Spot Calls · Jeshaun JonesMiss · 0A CBS Sports piece expects suspended Vikings receiver Jeshaun Jones to lose his roster battle and be cut by the Aug. 30 deadline, given Minnesota's established receiver group.
- Jeff KerrRoster Spot Calls · Chance CampbellHit · 100Kerr's third Eagles 53-man roster projection names the players he expects to make the team at each position, with Cole Payton, Elijah Moore, Johnny Wilson, Gabe Hall and Rocco Underwood left off; he also predicts Underwood is exposed to waivers and returns to the practice squad, Deontae Lawson lands on the practice squad, and Eli Stowers is the TE3.
- Jeff KerrRoster Spot Calls · Chance CampbellHit · 100Kerr's updated 53-man roster projection for the Eagles after eight training camp practices, naming which players make the team at each position plus depth-chart placements like Wicks as WR2, Mundt as TE2, Kendall as third guard, Bell as third tackle, and Epps/Carter battling to start at safety.
- Ralph VentreRoster Spot Calls · Christian BenfordMiss · 0Ventre expects Christian Benford's toe injury to sideline him for at least the Week 4 game against New England, and believes the Bills will have to add a cornerback to the 53-man roster this week — likely by moving Benford to injured reserve — with practice squad rookie Kani Walker the most likely player elevated.