Congratulations to Oday Aboushi on his one-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substances of abuse policy. In addition, he will be at risk of a much longer suspension if he is ever caught breaching the NFL’s policies in the future.
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Per Brian Costello of the New York Post, Aboushi issued an apology for the situation, saying he understands the repercussions and “is focused on moving forward”.
Aboushi, a 2013 fifth-round pick out of Virginia, is listed as third-string at left guard on the Jets’ unofficial depth chart. Aboushi also didn’t fail an NFL drug test. So, the league banned him one game for something actual law enforcement didn’t feel was important enough to press. He’s young and has starting experience, but the new coaching staff is trying to build a roster in its image. “We will support Oday as we continue with our preparations for the upcoming season”.
This could shed some light on how Aboushi, who started the majority of games for the Jets last season, suddenly found himself on the bottom of the depth chart. The Jets sought to upgrade the position this offseason by signing former Seahawks first-rounder James Carpenter to be the starter – and pushing Aboushi into a backup role. He has been getting mostly third-team reps during training camp, although he got more plays with the second team this week after second-stringer Dakota Dozier struggled last week n the preseason opener at Detroit.
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He also has briefly worked at right guard, taking part in a competition that now appears to have been won by incumbent Willie Colon. That versatility could be what saves Aboushi’s roster spot. If he can show enough in the remaining preseason games and training camp practices, the Jets can afford to hold onto him through that one game.
