Jason La Canfora· Aug 23, 2026
La Canfora predicts the Ravens will keep several young players on their practice squad — DL Kaimon Rucker, LB Dominic DeLuca, LB Ethan Burke, CB Amani Oruwariye, OT Gerad Lichtenhan and QB Joe Fagnano — and expects the team to make at least one trade from its surplus of cornerbacks.
“These are some interesting cases of youngsters I believe they will want to keep on the PS”
published in writing · Sports Illustrated · read the original →
6 checkable claims — 6 roster spot calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 7 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
2 of 6 have settled so far, averaging 0 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess at the same calls.
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Who this take is about
6 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 CallsJoe FagnanoBaltimore RavensAug 23, 2026
Joe Fagnano to make the roster
“With so many veteran QBs about to be cut, it would be pretty surprising if the Ravens weren’t able to usher him right back to their practice squad.”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 0+0 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- BAL
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- 023680c2-c6ab-4508-9597-0d5ba00572da
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he does not make the 53
- accuracy:
- 0
- 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:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
- Roster Spot CallsEthan BurkeBaltimore RavensAug 23, 2026
Ethan Burke to make the roster
“LB Dominic DeLuca/Ethan Burke — These are some interesting cases of youngsters I believe they will want to keep on the PS”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 100-200 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- BAL
- skill:
- -200
- player:
- c985ec27-65a7-4c36-ae03-abeea7fe8dfb
- 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:
- 0
- Roster Spot CallsDominic DeLucaBaltimore RavensAug 23, 2026
Dominic DeLuca to make the roster
“LB Dominic DeLuca/Ethan Burke — These are some interesting cases of youngsters I believe they will want to keep on the PS”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Roster Spot CallsKaimon RuckerBaltimore RavensAug 23, 2026
Kaimon Rucker to make the roster
“These are some interesting cases of youngsters I believe they will want to keep on the PS: DL Kaimon Rucker ... This roster is just too deep and too healthy on the defensive side for him to crack it.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Roster Spot CallsAmani OruwariyeBaltimore RavensAug 23, 2026
Amani Oruwariye to make the roster
“CB Amani Oruwariye — These are some interesting cases of youngsters I believe they will want to keep on the PS”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Gerad Lichtenhan to make the roster
“OT Gerad Lichtenhan — These are some interesting cases of youngsters I believe they will want to keep on the PS”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Mason CameronDepth Chart Calls · Ethan PocicMiss · 0An unsigned PFF piece ranks the NFL's top 32 centers heading into the 2026 season, with Creed Humphrey first for the fourth straight year, and names Ethan Pocic and Austin Schlottmann as the favorites to win starting center jobs in Baltimore and Tennessee.
- Evan SilvaFantasy Defense Calls · Baltimore RavensClose · 58In his 2020 fantasy defense/special teams rankings, Silva puts the Steelers first, the 49ers second and the Ravens third, citing pass rush, favorable early schedules and game scripts.
- Jared DubinGame Outcome Picks · Baltimore RavensHit · 100Dubin is high on the Ravens and low on the Colts, predicting a big Baltimore road win.
- Kirk HerbstreitGame Outcome Picks · Baltimore RavensHit · 100Herbstreit made a full slate of Week 1 picks — Lions, Ravens, Bears, Bills, Buccaneers, Jaguars, Titans, Eagles, Packers and Cowboys — and also said he still thinks Seattle is the team to beat in the NFC West.
- AJ HawkGame Outcome Picks · Baltimore RavensHit · 100AJ Hawk picked the Ravens over the Colts, Carolina to beat Chicago outright, the Bills at Houston, the Bengals over Tampa Bay, the Titans over the Jets, the Raiders over Miami, the Packers at Minnesota and the Cowboys over the Giants.
- Jordan DajaniScore Predictions · Baltimore RavensClose · 67Dajani picks the Rams over the 49ers, Texans over Bills, Ravens over Colts, Bengals over Buccaneers, Vikings over Packers, Cowboys over Giants and Broncos over Chiefs in Week 1, with exact scores. He also predicts the Bills win the AFC East, the Cowboys win their division, and Caleb Downs wins Defensive Rookie of the Year.
More roster spot calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- John ShipleyRoster Spot Calls · Jack KiserMiss · 0Shipley projects a full 16-player (plus one international/exemption spot) Jaguars practice squad for 2026, naming specific players at each position he expects to land there.
- Cody RourkeRoster Spot Calls · Mitchell FraboniMiss · 0Rourke names the Ravens as the bounce-back team most likely to be dangerous in the AFC again, and says Houston's defense alone should carry the Texans into the postseason. He also expects long snapper Mitchell Fraboni to be one of Denver's practice-squad elevations for the Chiefs game, and slots Pat Bryant as Denver's third receiver behind Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle.
- Sayre BedingerRoster Spot Calls · Adam PrenticeMiss · 0Benninger expects Houston's elite defense to make them either a division winner or a wild card team, thinks Marvin Mims was trending toward being Denver's fourth receiver rather than just the return man, and figures Adam Prentice will be the Broncos' other practice-squad call-up.
- Bob MorrisRoster Spot Calls · Adam PrenticeHit · 100Morris predicts Jarrett Stidham holds the backup QB job behind Bo Nix, Adam Prentice makes the 53-man roster as the fullback/fourth back, and Lucas Krull gets cut.
- Erick TrickelRoster Spot Calls · Adam PrenticeHit · 100After the Broncos' preseason opener, Trickel argued fullback Adam Prentice has shown enough value to earn a spot on the 53-man roster ahead of the team's fourth running back options (Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyler Badie, Cody Schrader).
- Nick ShookRoster Spot Calls · Aaron DonaldHit · 100Shook unveiled his first NFL power rankings of the year, putting the Rams first, the Broncos second and the defending champion Seahawks only third, with the Dolphins last.