Carter Bahns#18 of 87 NFL pundits · Aug 30, 2026
A CBS Sports preseason overreaction column argues Shedeur Sanders will take over as Cleveland's starting quarterback by Week 4, that Ja'Kobi Lane has a real path to a No. 2 receiver role as a rookie, and that Kenneth Walker III is a legitimate lead back atop the Chiefs' depth chart.
Published in writing · CBS SportsRead the original
What Carter Bahns said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromNothing Watson has shown since his arrival in Cleveland suggests he can hang onto the job.
- Where it was published
- CBS Sports
- The piece
- NFL preseason overreactions: Shedeur Sanders will start by Week 4, Ravens boast AFC's best defense
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidAug 30
- PlayedOct 1
- GradedOct 2
- 1Shedeur Sanders to be 1st on the depth chart“Shedeur Sanders will be the Browns' starter by Week 4 ... If he struggles in the Browns' two road games to open the year, he will hear about it from the home fans in Week 3. That should be the last straw. Verdict: Reality”
- 2Ja'Kobi Lane to be 2nd on the depth chart“There is a real path to the No. 2 job for the 6-foot-4 third-rounder who hauled in a touchdown in his preseason debut. Verdict: Reality”
- 3Kenneth Walker III to be 1st on the depth chart“The Kenneth Walker III signing was the headliner of a great offseason at this position and gives Kansas City a legitimate standout atop the depth chart.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shedeur Sanders to be 1st on the depth chart1 | Depth Chart Calls | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ja'Kobi Lane to be 2nd on the depth chart2 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Kenneth Walker III to be 1st on the depth chart3 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 3 calls · 1 miss · 2 waiting | 0 | 0 | ||||
How each call scored
a naive guessbetter than naive3 checkable claims — 3 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.
1 of 3 have settled so far, averaging 0 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.
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
Kenneth Walker III · 2026 season15 calls from 12 pundits between 1 and 1. Carter Bahns said 1. 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.
1Depth Chart CallsShedeur SandersCleveland Browns
Shedeur Sanders to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictMiss0Miss · naive 00this call−0a naive guess=0better than naive×2difficulty=0skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- CLE
- week:
- 4
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Shedeur Sanders
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he starts
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 0
- reported:
- he did not play that week
- naive slot:
- 1
- settled by:
- weekly snap counts (he took no snap in the game)
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he keeps the job he had last season
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
2Depth Chart CallsJa'Kobi Lane
Ja'Kobi Lane to be 2nd on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Depth Chart CallsKenneth Walker IIIKansas City Chiefs
Kenneth Walker III to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
The game in this take
every pundit’s pick on eachWho this take is about
Others on the same people
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Clark expects the Chiefs to bring back exclusive-rights receiver Nico (Remigio) and long snapper James Winchester, to re-sign JuJu Smith-Schuster as a cheap veteran fifth receiver, and not to bring back Hollywood Brown, Josh Dobbs-type depth, Gardner Minshew, Janarius Robinson or Mike Caliendo; they also say the Chiefs will not use a franchise tag and believes Bryan Cook won't return.Gilberto Manzano · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
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After reporting that Colts receiver Josh Downs requested a trade, they identify five clubs as plausible landing spots for them: the Rams, Patriots, Falcons, Chiefs and Raiders, and suggests Las Vegas could also give them a long-term extension.Mike Kadlick · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
Kadlick names the Chiefs, Patriots and 49ers as the three best trade landing spots for Colts wide receiver Josh Downs ahead of the Nov. 10 deadline.
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Herlin published Week 7 fantasy D/ST rankings with projections for 28 team defenses, led by Houston, Minnesota and Cleveland. They also expect Cleveland to post a fourth straight top-10 fantasy defense result, and predicts Jalon Daniels starts another week for Tampa Bay while J.J. McCarthy takes over as the Giants' starter.