# Brandon Carney: Carney predicted AJ Brown would not be back with the Eagles, forecast a wave of free-agent landing spots (Breece Hall to the Chiefs, Alec Pierce to the 49ers, Rico Dowdle to the Saints, George Pickens to the Patriots, Mike Evans to the Bills), and named Week 1 starting quarterbacks for several teams in flux. He also gave fantasy takes on Javonte Williams, Chris Olave and others. **Claimed:** Feb 24, 2026 **Pundit:** Brandon Carney — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/brandon-carney **Outlet:** Bran Coverage with BenchwarmerBran (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/bran-coverage-with-benchwarmerbran-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us **Original:** https://www.buzzsprout.com/2182919/episodes/18740683-2026-nfl-free-agent-preview-starting-qb-predictions-for-next-season-podcast-for-2-24.mp3 21 checkable claims — 11 trade and signing calls and 10 depth chart calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 36 players and teams, each linked to their own record. 11 of 21 have settled so far, averaging 87.1 out of 100, against 87.1 for a naive guess at the same calls. > So let's go with George Pickens to the Patriots. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Mike Evans to move to Buffalo Bills** - Kind: Trade and Signing Calls · About: Mike Evans, Buffalo Bills - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Michael Penix Jr. to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 91.67 for a naive guess - **Aaron Rodgers to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - **Kyler Murray to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Kyler Murray, New York Jets - Verdict: scored 91.67 out of 100, against 91.67 for a naive guess - **Justin Fields to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Justin Fields, Miami Dolphins - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 91.67 for a naive guess - **Mac Jones to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Mac Jones, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: scored 91.67 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - **Joe Flacco to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Joe Flacco, Indianapolis Colts - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 91.67 for a naive guess - **Malik Willis to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Malik Willis, Arizona Cardinals - Verdict: scored 91.67 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - **C.J. Stroud to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - **Kirk Cousins to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: scored 91.67 out of 100, against 91.67 for a naive guess - **Tyler Huntley to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Tyler Huntley, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: scored 91.67 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - **Josh Jacobs to move to Green Bay Packers** - Kind: Trade and Signing Calls · About: Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Breece Hall to move to Kansas City Chiefs** - Kind: Trade and Signing Calls · About: Breece Hall, Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **George Pickens to move to Dallas Cowboys** - Kind: Trade and Signing Calls · About: George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys - Verdict: not settled yet - **Rico Dowdle to move to New Orleans Saints** - Kind: Trade and Signing Calls · About: Rico Dowdle, New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet - **Alec Pierce to move to San Francisco 49ers** - Kind: Trade and Signing Calls · About: Alec Pierce, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Alec Pierce to move** - Kind: Trade and Signing Calls · About: Alec Pierce - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kyle Pitts to move to Atlanta Falcons** - Kind: Trade and Signing Calls · About: Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons - Verdict: not settled yet - **Daniel Jones to move to Indianapolis Colts** - Kind: Trade and Signing Calls · About: Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jauan Jennings to move** - Kind: Trade and Signing Calls · About: Jauan Jennings - Verdict: not settled yet - **George Pickens to move to New England Patriots** - Kind: Trade and Signing Calls · About: George Pickens, New England Patriots - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Mike Evans — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/mike-evans - Buffalo Bills — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bills - Michael Penix Jr. — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/michael-penix-jr - Atlanta Falcons — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/falcons - Aaron Rodgers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/aaron-rodgers - Pittsburgh Steelers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/steelers - Kyler Murray — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kyler-murray - New York Jets — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/jets - Justin Fields — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/justin-fields - Miami Dolphins — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/dolphins - Mac Jones — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/mac-jones - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/raiders - Joe Flacco — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/joe-flacco - Indianapolis Colts — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/colts - Malik Willis — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/malik-willis - Arizona Cardinals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cardinals - C.J. Stroud — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/c-j-stroud - Houston Texans — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/texans - Kirk Cousins — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kirk-cousins - Minnesota Vikings — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/vikings - Tyler Huntley — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/tyler-huntley - Cleveland Browns — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/browns - Josh Jacobs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/josh-jacobs - Green Bay Packers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/packers - Breece Hall — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/breece-hall - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chiefs - George Pickens — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/george-pickens - Dallas Cowboys — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cowboys - Rico Dowdle — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/rico-dowdle - New Orleans Saints — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/saints - Alec Pierce — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/alec-pierce - San Francisco 49ers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/49ers - Kyle Pitts — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kyle-pitts - Daniel Jones — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/daniel-jones - Jauan Jennings — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jauan-jennings - New England Patriots — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/patriots ## What others said about the same people - Chris Simms on Kansas City Chiefs: Simms 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/662b7ba3-1bf6-4ad0-9f93-9f2ab83143fd (scored 100) - Connor Rogers on Kansas City Chiefs: Rogers picked Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle and the Giants to win their Week 3 games, saying the Chiefs win by two touchdowns and the Giants by a field goal. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/83d1e88b-95a0-45ba-83d3-f86297170c6c (scored 100) - Chris Long on Buffalo Bills: Long liked the Rams over the Broncos on Sunday night even without Puka Nacua, and expected the Bills to beat the winless Chargers in Buffalo. He also backed the Bengals over the Steelers, expected an angry Detroit team to handle the Jets, and still thought both the Lions and Vikings could win the NFC North. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3df9ea25-e57f-4fd7-b20c-c910a1c3633a (scored 100) - Steven Ruiz on Las Vegas Raiders: Previewing 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a30ff469-4972-4c48-855b-ba984e4de9d0 (scored 100) - Nate Tice on Las Vegas Raiders: Tice 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b8378e16-ea5c-4107-a883-28aaf0e71134 (scored 100) - Chris Simms on Green Bay Packers: Simms picked the Packers to beat the Falcons in the Thursday night game by a low score, expecting a defensive struggle. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b12420c5-837c-4a24-8a8e-c74b10cc697c (scored 9.52) ## More trade and signing calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - David Droegemeier on Mekhi Becton: Drogemeier says the Chargers cutting Mekhi Becton is a foregone conclusion, freeing nearly $9 million in cap space, and only a matter of when. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c5f92029-fa26-4c4f-9c27-ab127b7301a8 (scored 100) - Mina Kimes on Mekhi Becton: Kimes projects Washington receiver Denzel Boston as a second-half-of-the-first-round pick and expects the Chargers to move on from Mekhi Becton. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/313774ec-4795-434d-9f21-6ec534873000 (scored 100) - Bryan DeArdo on Darius Slayton: A CBS Sports piece on the Giants releasing Darius Slayton predicts he will be signed by another NFL team fairly quickly, and lists possible landing spots without committing to one. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3f1834cd-6520-4f07-9efc-4060a6b5cb1c (scored 100) - Noah Strackbein on Darius Slayton: Strackbein says Pittsburgh views Roman Wilson as its No. 3 receiver behind DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr., but argues the Steelers should add released Giants veteran Darius Slayton as insurance, expecting Slayton to sign cheaply on a veteran-minimum deal, and refers to 2026 as Aaron Rodgers' final season. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c6348972-c1bf-48f1-ba03-d5c2ef44561a (scored 100) - Patricia Traina on Darius Slayton: Traina writes that the Giants may make more trades before the roster cutdown and names the players she sees as the most likely candidates to be dealt: kicker Ben Sauls, one of receivers Darius Slayton or Darnell Mooney, offensive lineman Jake Kubas, and linebacker Darius Muasau. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/970d968f-3133-436c-a8a6-114412a9f178 (scored 100) - Greg Auman on Will Levis: Auman predicts that Will Levis, released by Tennessee, will almost certainly be claimed on waivers by another team. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/55b7732a-4131-430b-adbf-a33c60c47dc0 (scored 100) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages. Full method: https://missedtakes.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.co/corrections?pundit=brandon-carney