Randy Gurzi· Aug 31, 2026
Gurzi predicts the Cowboys' 17-man practice squad, naming each player he expects Dallas to sign, including a surprise addition of released Giants tackle Evan Neal. He also predicts Jaydon Blue will be claimed off waivers by another team and that Sam Williams will land elsewhere.
“That could lead to Blue being claimed, but the Cowboys are still able to bring back two promising running backs in Phil Mafah and Israel Abanikanda.”
published in writing · Sports Illustrated · read the original →
19 checkable claims — 17 roster spot calls and 2 trade and signing calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 20 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
5 of 19 have settled so far, averaging 0 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess at the same calls.
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Who this take is about
19 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 CallsReddy StewardDallas CowboysAug 31, 2026
Reddy Steward to make the roster
“Reddy Steward, CB ... he would be a viable emergency option and should be retained.”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 100-200 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- DAL
- skill:
- -200
- player:
- Reddy Steward
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he lands on the practice squad
- accuracy:
- 0
- 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:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 3
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 2
- Roster Spot CallsIsrael AbanikandaDallas CowboysAug 31, 2026
Israel Abanikanda to make the roster
“Israel Abanikanda, RB”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 100-200 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- DAL
- skill:
- -200
- player:
- Israel Abanikanda
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he lands on the practice squad
- accuracy:
- 0
- 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:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 2
- Roster Spot CallsJustin BarronDallas CowboysAug 31, 2026
Justin Barron to make the roster
“Justin Barron, LB”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 100-200 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- DAL
- skill:
- -200
- player:
- Justin Barron
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he lands on the practice squad
- accuracy:
- 0
- 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:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 2
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 2
- Roster Spot CallsNick LeverettDallas CowboysAug 31, 2026
Nick Leverett to make the roster
“Nick Leverett, IOL”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 100-200 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- DAL
- skill:
- -200
- player:
- Nick Leverett
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he lands on the practice squad
- accuracy:
- 0
- 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
- Roster Spot CallsCurtis RobinsonDallas CowboysAug 31, 2026
Curtis Robinson to make the roster
“Curtis Robinson, LB”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 100-200 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- DAL
- skill:
- -200
- player:
- Curtis Robinson
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he lands on the practice squad
- accuracy:
- 0
- 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:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 2
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 2
- Roster Spot CallsMichael TriggDallas CowboysAug 31, 2026
Michael Trigg to make the roster
“Michael Trigg, TE”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Roster Spot CallsAnthony SmithDallas CowboysAug 31, 2026
Anthony Smith to make the roster
“Anthony Smith, WR”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Roster Spot CallsTommy DunnDallas CowboysAug 31, 2026
Tommy Dunn to make the roster
“Tommy Dunn, DT”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Roster Spot CallsJordan HudsonDallas CowboysAug 31, 2026
Jordan Hudson to make the roster
“Jordan Hudson, WR”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Roster Spot CallsEvan NealDallas CowboysAug 31, 2026
Evan Neal to make the roster
“Evan Neal, OT/G ... making him a surprise addition to our predicted practice squad.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Roster Spot CallsJulius WoodDallas CowboysAug 31, 2026
Julius Wood to make the roster
“In the secondary, Dallas brings back Julius Wood who was a star during the preseason.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Roster Spot CallsMarcellus JohnsonDallas CowboysAug 31, 2026
Marcellus Johnson to make the roster
“Marcellus Johnson, OT”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Roster Spot CallsShiyazh PeteDallas CowboysAug 31, 2026
Shiyazh Pete to make the roster
“Shiyazh Pete, OT”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Roster Spot CallsJay ToiaDallas CowboysAug 31, 2026
Jay Toia to make the roster
“Jay Toia, DT”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Roster Spot CallsAdedayo OdeleyeDallas CowboysAug 31, 2026
Adedayo Odeleye to make the roster
“Dayo Odeleye, DT (International Pathway Player)”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Trade and Signing CallsJaydon BlueAug 31, 2026
Jaydon Blue to move — “claimed off waivers by another team”
“That could lead to Blue being claimed”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Trade and Signing CallsSam WilliamsAug 31, 2026
Sam Williams to move — “fresh start elsewhere, possibly another team's practice squad”
“Williams would be best served to look for a fresh start elsewhere, and he's flashed enough potential to earn that, even if he has to begin on another team's practice squad.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Roster Spot CallsZion ChildressDallas CowboysAug 31, 2026
Zion Childress to make the roster
“Zion Childress, S”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Roster Spot CallsPhil MafahDallas CowboysAug 31, 2026
Phil Mafah to make the roster
“Dallas Cowboys predicted practice squad — Phil Mafah, RB”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Nate TiceScore Predictions · Dallas CowboysHit · 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.
- Geoff SchwartzGame Outcome Picks · Dallas CowboysMiss · 0Filling in on the chips segment, Schwartz took Jacksonville to beat New England, the Bengals to beat the Steelers, and the Cowboys to beat the Ravens on the Brazil field.
- Michael IrvinGame Outcome Picks · Dallas CowboysMiss · 0Irvin went game-by-game through the Cowboys' 2026 schedule and predicted a 13-4 finish, with losses to Houston, Philadelphia (Week 7), Seattle and the Giants in Week 17, and a season sweep of Washington.
- Jeff CavanaughGame Outcome Picks · Dallas CowboysMiss · 0Jeff went game-by-game through the Cowboys schedule, initially arriving at 13-4 before flipping a game to settle on a 12-5 final record prediction, with Dallas beating the Giants, Commanders, Ravens, Buccaneers, Packers, Cardinals, Colts, 49ers, Titans, Eagles (home), plus wins to close, and losing to the Texans, Eagles (road), Seahawks and Rams.
- Clarence HillGame Outcome Picks · Dallas CowboysMiss · 0Clarence predicted an 11-6 Cowboys season, picking wins over the Giants, Commanders, Ravens, Packers, Cardinals, Colts and Titans while giving losses to Houston, Tampa Bay, both Eagles games, the 49ers, Seahawks and Rams.
- Michael IrvinGame Outcome Picks · Dallas CowboysMiss · 0Playing the game-by-game "win loss" exercise, Irvin picked the Cowboys to finish 13-4, with losses only at Houston, at Philadelphia, at Seattle and at home to the Giants in Week 17.
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.