Alain Poupart· Aug 28, 2026
Previewing the Dolphins' preseason finale and roster cutdown, Poupart states Malik Willis is locked in as the starting quarterback, Mark Gronowski is effectively gone, and identifies Greg Dulcich and Will Kacmarek as the only certainties at tight end while treating several receivers as settled roster locks.
“Malik Willis is the unquestioned starter; Cam Miller is a long shot; and Mark Gronowski is as good as gone.”
published in writing · Sports Illustrated · read the original →
8 checkable claims — 7 roster spot calls and 1 depth chart call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 9 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
6 of 8 have settled so far, averaging 100 out of 100, against 50 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.
Where this call stands in the room
Malik Willis · 2026 season24 calls from 18 pundits between 1 and 1. Alain Poupart 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.
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Who this take is about
8 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 CallsWill KacmarekMiami DolphinsAug 28, 2026
Will Kacmarek to make the roster
“The only certainty at this position would seem to be Greg Dulcich and rookie third-round pick Will Kacmarek”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 0+200 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- MIA
- skill:
- 200
- player:
- 9a382ccc-cfd6-46aa-ad66-c46c33ac7951
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- 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 CallsJalen TolbertMiami DolphinsAug 28, 2026
Jalen Tolbert to make the roster
“along with veterans Malik Washington and Jalen Tolbert”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 100+0 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- MIA
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- 990efa0d-3841-498a-9460-35e1fc1067a0
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- 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 CallsMalik WashingtonMiami DolphinsAug 28, 2026
Malik Washington to make the roster
“along with veterans Malik Washington and Jalen Tolbert”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 100+0 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- MIA
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- e5ed9ad0-9ece-463e-8e1b-d18b0f43ddac
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- 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 CallsKevin ColemanMiami DolphinsAug 28, 2026
Kevin Coleman to make the roster
“there's some intrigue beyong rookies Caleb Douglas, Kevin Coleman Jr. and Bell if he's healthy, along with veterans Malik Washington and Jalen Tolbert”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 0+200 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- MIA
- skill:
- 200
- player:
- b98f3c69-b25e-4a39-9466-6adaa57eb823
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- 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 CallsCaleb DouglasMiami DolphinsAug 28, 2026
Caleb Douglas to make the roster
“In terms of who'll make the 53, sure, there's some intrigue beyong rookies Caleb Douglas, Kevin Coleman Jr. and Bell if he's healthy, along with veterans Malik Washington and Jalen Tolbert”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 0+200 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- MIA
- skill:
- 200
- player:
- e0379f75-78eb-4023-ac3a-5a49427d5a89
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- 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 CallsGreg DulcichMiami DolphinsAug 28, 2026
Greg Dulcich to make the roster
“The only certainty at this position would seem to be Greg Dulcich and rookie third-round pick Will Kacmarek”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 100+0 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- MIA
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- 4a2a2149-5180-425f-a541-1543fb8f0269
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- 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
- Depth Chart CallsMalik WillisMiami DolphinsAug 28, 2026
Malik Willis to be 1st on the depth chart
“Malik Willis is the unquestioned starter; Cam Miller is a long shot; and Mark Gronowski is as good as gone.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Roster Spot CallsMark GronowskiMiami DolphinsAug 28, 2026
Mark Gronowski to make the roster
“Mark Gronowski is as good as gone. Those are the issues that are settled.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Nathan JahnkeDepth Chart Calls · Jalen TolbertMiss · 0PFF's preseason fantasy recap makes a large number of depth-chart, role and fantasy-value calls across the league, including Chig Okonkwo as a top sleeper tight end, Tre Tucker as the Raiders' top receiver, and various backfield hierarchies.
- Nathan JahnkeDepth Chart Calls · Jalen TolbertMiss · 0PFF's fantasy football preseason recap projects depth-chart outcomes, roster spots and fantasy value for numerous players across several preseason games, including Chig Okonkwo's expanded role in Washington, Ja'Kobi Lane as Baltimore's WR3, Malachi Fields winning the Giants' starting X job, and Zachariah Branch being a fantasy bust relative to his late-round cost.
- Chad MillmanGame Outcome Picks · Miami DolphinsMiss · 0Chad Millman said he had taken money-line positions on several Week 1 underdogs — the Texans outright over the Bills, the Giants outright over Dallas (in a money-line underdog parlay), and Miami outright at Las Vegas — and that the show's survivor pick was the Steelers to win.
- Chad MillmanGame Outcome Picks · Miami DolphinsMiss · 0Millman backed several week one sides outright: Miami to beat the Raiders straight up, the Jets over the Titans, an underdog money line parlay of Houston and the Giants, and a favorites money line parlay of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Detroit. He also stands by his preseason take that Drake Maye is a top-five NFL quarterback.
- Mike FlorioScore Predictions · Miami DolphinsMiss · 24Florio gives score predictions for every Week 1 game of the 2026 NFL season, including an opening-night upset by the Patriots in Seattle and narrow home wins for the Giants and Chiefs.
- Conor OrrGame Outcome Picks · Miami DolphinsMiss · 0Orr's Week 1 straight-up picks, including several upsets (Patriots, Buccaneers, Browns, Dolphins, Commanders, Broncos).
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.