Seahawks-Vikings preview: Jimmy Graham, Thomas Rawls among those who won’t play Thursday

The Seattle Seahawks play their second preseason game of the year on Thursday, hosting the Minnesota Vikings at 7 PM PST. However, not everyone will be able to participate, though there are few surprises.

Jimmy Graham and Thomas Rawls returned from the PUP list last week, but won’t be playing against the Vikings. Graham’s status for Week 1 is still up in the air, while Rawls will probably continue to get more reps in practice before they risk putting him into a game situation — my hunch is that he might get a few carries in preseason Week 4 just to shake the rust off, and that’s it.

Fans also won’t see the preseason debut of running back C.J. Prosise. Pete Carroll said that Prosise has had a good week of practice since returning from a hamstring injury, but it’s too soon for him to play. It’s fair to say that he’s expected to play next Thursday.

Among the veterans who aren’t expected to play are Kam Chancellor, J’Marcus Webb, and Jordan Hill.

It’s a slippery slope for Hill, the oft-injured defensive tackle who just seems to quietly remain on the sidelines as day after day wash away. The position just seems to be getting deeper and more talented up top while he remains out, though I don’t think his spot on the 53 is in jeopardy. It is curious though if he’ll be playing when the season starts in three weeks. Kam’s status does get more concerning every day as well, as it seems to be a mystery what’s going on and how bad it is. Just that he’s now missed quite a few days of practice with a groin injury.

Webb’s job security is of course very much in doubt. The team will once again start Garry Gilliam at right tackle and Bradley Sowell on the left side. It’s also expected that Terry Poole will be the second team right tackle; this is just another opportunity for the younger players to show Carroll that they can handle the job this season. However, Webb plays multiple positions and has a guaranteed contract, so that may help him stick around in September, even if he isn’t a starter and if fans are already mounting a campaign against him.

Those who are expected to play are Alex Collins, Kasen Williams, Mike Morgan, Tony McDaniel, Michael Bennett, and the preseason debut of running back Zac Brooks. We heard a lot about Brooks earlier in camp but he’s faded off of most 53-man roster projections since missing a lot of time with a hamstring injury. A solid showing in the next three weeks though could make the decisions at running back very tough for Carroll down the line.