Ralph VentreAug 27, 2026
Ventre predicts four Bills backups — safety Damar Hamlin, inside linebacker Joe Andreessen, outside linebacker Javon Solomon and running back Ty Johnson — will survive the cutdown to 53 and make the roster.
Published in writing · Sports IllustratedRead the original
What Ralph Ventre said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromThese four Bills' backups appear safe come cutdown day
- Where it was published
- Sports Illustrated
- The piece
- Four Rumored Buffalo Bills' Cut Candidates Who Are Likely Locked into Roster Spots
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidAug 27
- GradedSep 25
- 1Damar Hamlin to make the roster“his experience has paid dividends this summer, and he's trending toward earning one of four safety spots.”
- 2Javon Solomon to make the roster“These four Bills' backups appear safe come cutdown day ... He has since, however, made a strong case as to why Buffalo needs to keep him.”
- 3Joe Andreessen to make the roster“Only days away from the cutdown deadline, it appears as if Andreessen is safe.”
- 4Ty Johnson to make the roster“These four Bills' backups appear safe come cutdown day, especially after listening to what head coach Joe Brady and defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard had to say about them. ... RB Ty Johnson”
- 5Damar Hamlin to be 4th on the depth chart“he's trending toward earning one of four safety spots”
- 6Joe Andreessen to be 4th on the depth chart“Andreessen was in a fight against Keonta Jenkins for the fourth ILB spot. Only days away from the cutdown deadline, it appears as if Andreessen is safe.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damar Hamlin to make the roster1 | Roster Spot Calls | 3 weeks on a 53 | 100 | 100 | 0 | |
| Javon Solomon to make the roster2 | Roster Spot Calls | 3 weeks on a 53 | 100 | 100 | 0 | |
| Joe Andreessen to make the roster3 | Roster Spot Calls | 3 weeks on a 53 | 100 | 100 | 0 | |
| Ty Johnson to make the roster4 | Roster Spot Calls | 3 weeks on a 53 | 100 | 100 | 0 | |
| Damar Hamlin to be 4th on the depth chart5 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Joe Andreessen to be 4th on the depth chart6 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 6 calls · 4 hits · 2 waiting | 100 | 100 | ||||
How each call scored
a naive guessbetter than naive6 checkable claims — 4 roster spot calls and 2 depth chart calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 5 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
4 of 6 have settled so far, averaging 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above 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
Damar Hamlin · 2026 season6 calls from 6 pundits between 1 and 4. Ralph Ventre said 4. 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.
1Roster Spot CallsDamar HamlinBuffalo Bills
Damar Hamlin to make the roster
What happened3 weeks on a 53100Hit · naive 100100this call−100a naive guess=0better than naive×2difficulty=0skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- BUF
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Damar Hamlin
- 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
2Roster Spot CallsJavon SolomonBuffalo Bills
Javon Solomon to make the roster
What happened3 weeks on a 53100Hit · naive 100100this call−100a naive guess=0better than naive×2difficulty=0skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- BUF
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Javon Solomon
- 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
3Roster Spot CallsJoe AndreessenBuffalo Bills
Joe Andreessen to make the roster
What happened3 weeks on a 53100Hit · naive 100100this call−100a naive guess=0better than naive×2difficulty=0skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- BUF
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Joe Andreessen
- 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
4Roster Spot CallsTy JohnsonBuffalo Bills
Ty Johnson to make the roster
What happened3 weeks on a 53100Hit · naive 100100this call−100a naive guess=0better than naive×2difficulty=0skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- BUF
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Ty Johnson
- 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
5Depth Chart CallsDamar HamlinBuffalo Bills
Damar Hamlin to be 4th on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
6Depth Chart CallsJoe AndreessenBuffalo Bills
Joe Andreessen to be 4th on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- All
The take as a whole
the average of 4 settled calls, each counted once
100naive 100
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Pete Prisco · Score Predictions · Buffalo Bills · Close 76
Prisco picked the Bills to win 21-14 at Minnesota.John Breech · Score Predictions · Buffalo Bills · Close 76
Breech picked the Bills to beat the Vikings on Monday night by a score of 24-17.Jordan Dajani · Score Predictions · Buffalo Bills · Close 62
Dajani picked the Bills to edge the Vikings 24-23.Jared Dubin · Score Predictions · Buffalo Bills · Close 74
Dubin picked Buffalo to win a low-scoring Monday night game in Minnesota, 20-14.Tyler Sullivan · Score Predictions · Buffalo Bills · Close 76
Sullivan picked the Bills to beat the Vikings 24-17.
More roster spot calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Zack Kelberman · Roster Spot Calls · Sean Fresch Jr. · Miss 0
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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.