John Middlekauff· Mar 1, 2025
Middlekauff predicts Kirk Cousins will be cut within about a week, that Sam Darnold will land a multi-year deal worth roughly $100 million as an immediate starter, that Jaxson Dart will gain momentum as a potential first-round pick, that cam Ward may skip throwing at the combine, and that Derek Stingley will get around $100 million this offseason.
“I still think at minimum he's going to get a Baker Mayfield this year, one hundred million dollars type contest, isn't he?”
said on air or in an interview · The Colin Cowherd Podcast (podcast) · read the original →
The page this came from has changed since we captured it on Aug 5, 2026. The quote and evidence above are from our capture, not from what the page says today.
3 checkable claims — 1 depth chart call, 1 mock draft pick and 1 trade and signing call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 3 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
All 3 have settled, averaging 66.7 out of 100, against 83.3 for a naive guess at the same calls.
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Who this take is about
3 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.
- Trade and Signing CallsKirk CousinsMar 1, 2025
Kirk Cousins to move
“let's face the Colin They're probably gonna cut him in the next seven ten days. Yeah, he's going to get cut.”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 100-200 skillHow this was scored
- skill:
- -200
- player:
- Kirk Cousins
- season:
- 2025
- claimed:
- he leaves
- was with:
- ATL
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 100
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he stays where he is
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- ended up with:
- ATL
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- Mock Draft PicksJaxson DartMar 1, 2025
Jaxson Dart to be picked “potential first round pick” (picks 1–32)
“I would throw Jackson Darton here, who I think is gonna gain some momentum as a potential first round pick”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 50How this was scored
- draft:
- 2025
- naive:
- a shuffled mock scores 50
- player:
- Jaxson Dart
- season:
- 2025
- zero at:
- 32
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- 25
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 100
- predicted pick:
- potential first round pick (picks 1–32)
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- only one pick — no order to score
- Depth Chart CallsSam DarnoldMar 1, 2025
Sam Darnold to be 1st on the depth chart
“So I think Darnold would be the one guy that would just get signed and immediately become, you know, kind of not your long term starter, but at least in the immediate next couple of year starter.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 100+0 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- SEA
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Sam Darnold
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- position:
- QB
- naive slot:
- 1
- actual slot:
- 1
- difficulty:
- 2
- measured by:
- passing yards
- the naive guess:
- where he sat last season
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- predicted slot:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 18
What others said about the same people
- Daniel JeremiahTrade and Signing Calls · Kirk CousinsMiss · 0Jeremiah walked through his mock draft 3.0, slotting Cam Ward first overall to Tennessee, Abdul Carter to Cleveland at two, Shedeur Sanders to the Giants at three and Travis Hunter to New England at four, plus roughly twenty other first-round pairings. He also called Matthew Golden the first receiver off the board, said Tyler Booker would climb back into the latter third of the first round, expected Kirk Cousins to be traded, thought Jaire Alexander's Packers days were numbered, and predicted Cam Robinson would start at left tackle in Houston.
- Colin CowherdTrade and Signing Calls · Kirk CousinsMiss · 0Cowherd laid out his full NFC projections: division order in all four divisions, four division winners (Eagles, Lions, Falcons, Rams), three wild cards (Commanders, Bears, Seahawks), and predicted the Falcons, Bears and Seahawks as new playoff teams. He also predicted Tennessee would be a surprise team with Cam Ward.
- Justin PenikTrade and Signing Calls · Sam DarnoldMiss · 0Pennock predicted Sam Darnold to Pittsburgh, Zach Baun re-signing in Philadelphia, Charvarius Ward and Jamien Sherwood to Washington, Cam Robinson to Chicago as left tackle, Cam Bynum to the Jets, Darius Slayton to the Chargers, Aaron Jones back to Minnesota and Aaron Rodgers to the Giants.
- Rich EisenTrade and Signing Calls · Sam DarnoldHit · 100Eisen predicts three quarterbacks go in the first round, with Jaxson Dart taken late in round one, and says three running backs in the first would be a surprise; he also insists Shedeur Sanders will not fall out of the top 10 and picks the Rams to win the NFC West while keeping the Eagles as the NFC favorite over Washington.
- Chris BrockmanTrade and Signing Calls · Sam DarnoldHit · 100Brockman floats several overreactions: the Titans trade the No. 1 pick, at least six QBs and RBs combined go in round one, Shedeur Sanders falls out of the top 10, the Rams win the NFC West, the Deebo Samuel trade makes Washington the NFC's team to beat, and Sam Darnold leaves Minnesota for $50 million a year.
- Chris BrockmanTrade and Signing Calls · Sam DarnoldHit · 100Brockman floats a series of overreactions: the Titans won't make the first overall pick because someone trades up, at least six quarterbacks and running backs combined go in round one, Shedeur Sanders falls out of the top 10, the Rams win the NFC West, the Commanders become the team to beat in the NFC, and Sam Darnold leaves Minnesota for $50 million a year.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Matt SeveranceDepth Chart Calls · Deshaun WatsonHit · 100The 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.
- Rafael ZamoranoDepth Chart Calls · Deshaun WatsonHit · 100Zamorano 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.
- Rich HribarDepth Chart Calls · Tua TagovailoaMiss · 0Hribar 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.
- Bradley LockerDepth Chart Calls · Carson WentzHit · 100PFF'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.
- Tyler SullivanDepth Chart Calls · Michael Penix Jr.Miss · 0In a Week 1 recap with no named byline, CBS Sports suggested Michael Penix Jr. would take over as Atlanta's Week 2 starter if healthy, called Ashton Jeanty's sophomore breakout imminent, and warned readers not to overlook San Francisco as NFC West winners.
- Pat FitzmauriceDepth Chart Calls · Rashod BatemanMiss · 0In his Week 2 waiver wire column, Fitzmaurice recommends a slate of pickups he expects to outperform their current rostership (Kaelon Black, Deebo Samuel, Tyler Shough, Geno Smith and others), lays out several depth-chart expectations (Black as the 49ers' No. 2 back, Shedeur Sanders eventually taking over in Cleveland, Penix returning for Atlanta), and flags Fool's Gold/drop candidates such as Mike Gesicki, Kendrick Bourne and Rashid Shaheed.