# Bucky Brooks: Brooks defends his prediction that the Raiders finish 6-11, forecasts breakout seasons for several young players (Cam Ward, Ashton Jeanty, Emeka Egbuka, Luther Burden III, Gunnar Helm, Amarius Mims), says Jeanty can contend for the rushing title, and thinks the Bengals are the most likely AFC North winner because they return everyone. He also predicts Bill Belichick never returns to the NFL and that North Carolina finishes below .500. **Claimed:** Jul 12, 2026 **Pundit:** Bucky Brooks — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/bucky-brooks **Outlet:** Fox Sports Radio (podcast) — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/fox-sports-radio-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview **Original:** https://omny.fm/shows/fox-sports-radio-weekends/andy-furman-bucky-brooks-talk-usmnt-red-card-fiasco-sean-payton-wanted-to-hire-bill-belichick-bucky-s-breakout-players-and-much-more 5 checkable claims — 2 depth chart calls, 1 division winner, 1 positional finishe and 1 season win total — 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. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 3 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 1 and below it on 2. > But Ashton Genty, you say could lead the league in rushing. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Emeka Egbuka to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Las Vegas Raiders to finish with 6 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Ashton Jeanty to finish top 1 at his position, by rushing yards** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Luther Burden III to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears - Verdict: not settled yet - **Cincinnati Bengals to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Cincinnati Bengals - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Emeka Egbuka — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/emeka-egbuka - Tampa Bay Buccaneers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/buccaneers - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/raiders - Ashton Jeanty — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/ashton-jeanty - Luther Burden III — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/luther-burden-iii - Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/bears - Cincinnati Bengals — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/bengals ## What others said about the same people - Mike Moraitis on Josh Blackwell: Moraitis names seven Bears as trade candidates before roster cuts, predicting Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills are on the roster bubble and likely to be traded, while Ozzy Trapilo avoids an injured list, and listing several players as locks for the 53-man roster. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/07eb40f6-9e40-4a79-b1d4-e2f7e73e104a (scored 100) - Tom Jensen on Cole Kmet: NFL.com published a list of players it expects to be released by cutdown day, headlined by tight ends Dawson Knox, T.J. Hockenson and Cole Kmet. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/7ab5ced6-8d1e-4d59-a06b-9dc7d8125a83 (scored 0) - Mike Moraitis on Luther Burden III: Moraitis argues Ruben Hyppolite is at real risk of being cut, names T.J. Edwards, Devin Bush, D'Marco Jackson (and a healthy Keyshaun Elliott) as locks at linebacker, says Braxton Jones is the clear favorite to start at left tackle with Amegadjie and Wills fighting for a backup job (the loser possibly cut), and believes Scotty Miller has the edge over Kaden Davis for the final receiver spot. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/0c3a5459-cd09-406c-9ee5-b3efb46171e1 (scored 100) - Jerry Markarian on Jordan van den Berg: Markarian expects Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter Sr. and Neville Gallimore to be locks as the Bears' top three defensive tackles, with Jordan van den Berg also likely to make the roster, and sees Kentavius Street as the favorite for the last DT spot over James Lynch and UDFA Jayden Loving — though Loving could win it with a strong preseason or land on the practice squad. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/65773f49-32e0-4b30-8a92-d10c38d51294 (scored 100) - Jay Morrison on Tanner Hudson: Morrison expects the Bengals to promote tight end Tanner Hudson from the practice squad to the active roster to fill the spot opened by Andrei Iosivas going on Injured Reserve. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/78d078e2-2ac8-4182-97c5-3ef063239f31 (scored 0) - Pete Martuneac on Skyler Thomas: Martuneac argues that undrafted rookie defensive back Skyler Thomas, despite making the Bears' initial 53-man roster and grading highly in the preseason, is likely to be released before the Week 1 opener against Carolina. He also notes in passing that Cleveland is in the running for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 draft. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/e361d74d-6958-4eca-8146-4999bb2eb081 (scored 0) ## More depth chart calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Fox Sports on Michael Penix Jr.: Fox Sports states that a healthy Tua Tagovailoa will serve as Atlanta's backup quarterback in Week 3, with Michael Penix Jr. handling the starting duties against Green Bay. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/a90e69a8-707f-43e9-a63e-cdb3e7bd0829 (scored 100) - Pat Fitzmaurice on Aaron Jones: In previewing the 10 most intriguing fantasy performers of Week 2, Fitzmaurice expects Atlanta's quarterback problems to persist with Tua Tagovailoa unlikely to play and Michael Penix Jr. not ready to return, flags Falcons slot corner Billy Bowman Jr. as a possible Week 2 returnee, and describes Aaron Jones as Minnesota's lead back and Kaelon Black as the clear backup to Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/31adc8bb-8f15-453f-bbcf-cab44e29b8b3 (scored 100) - Matt Severance on Deshaun Watson: The CBS Sports preview backs Tampa Bay to beat Cleveland in the Bucs' Week 2 home opener, and states that Deshaun Watson — not Shedeur Sanders — will be Cleveland's starting quarterback in Week 2. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/944568ce-7205-409f-8354-a392016fd8bf (scored 100) - Rafael Zamorano on Deshaun Watson: Zamorano reports Watson will start Week 2 at Tampa Bay and suggests there's little reason to expect improvement, raising the possibility Watson's five-year contract never yields more than single-digit wins. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/d7d7e0a2-61e0-4525-970b-b01a2356f11b (scored 100) - Rich Hribar on Tua Tagovailoa: Hribar expects Tua Tagovailoa to be Atlanta's starting quarterback for Week 2 while Michael Penix stays out, with Penix's return closer to Week 4. He is unenthusiastic about the Falcons' offense either way and treats Bryce Young as a fringe fantasy starter. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/124ac755-a942-4382-8bad-177da7f8170d (scored 0) - Bradley Locker on Carson Wentz: PFF's unsigned adjusted power rankings after Week 1 of the 2026 season place the Bills first, the Rams second and the Dolphins last, with notes on quarterback situations in Seattle, Minnesota and Cleveland. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/a3716f21-0488-4fc8-a414-c25c2d781a6e (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.thegoodapps.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.thegoodapps.co/corrections?pundit=bucky-brooks