Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
I have been dismissing Draughn since the Bears signed him this offseason. I figured he was a camp body, keeping a seat warm for rookie draft pick Ka’Deem Carey as Matt Forte‘s primary backup. But Draughn has managed to keep the job and hold off the younger competitors vying for the backup running back job. Draughn has been solid in pass protection, which will be a key to earn a roster spot and has shown enough in the running game to merit a closer look. If he can have another solid performance against the stout Seahawks defense, he could be a surprise addition to the 53-man roster.
Since Jimmy Clausen out-performed Palmer in the Week 1 preseason win over the Eagles, I was ready to usher Palmer out the door. But he had a bounceback performance against the Jaguars and led the Bears to a comeback win, albeit against the reserves. Palmer will be next into the game after Cutler exits, so he’ll have to show well again to stay alive in the backup quarterback competition. Palmer needs to be more decisive and show a willingness to push the ball upfield rather than checking it down to make an impression on me.