New York Jets News: Oday Aboushi Suspended One Game

New York Jets News: The bad news just keeps rolling in for the Jets, who recieved notice that offensive lineman Oday Aboushi would be suspended the first game of the season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

The news might not be as damning for the New York Jets as it was when Geno Smith had his jaw broken in a locker room altercation, but it is negative nonetheless. The bad news kept coming, as offensive lineman Oday Aboushi was suspended for one game for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

Aboushi is entering his third season in the league and with the Jets, as he was selected in the fifth round of the 2012 draft out of Virginia. He will be eligible to return to the Jets’ active roster on September 14th, the day following their first game of the season against the Cleveland Browns. Even though he will miss that game, he is still allowed to practice and play in all of the preseason games, something that is important for a player fighting for his roster spot.

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In a statement that was issued by the team, Aboushi said,”I apologize for my actions and understand the repercussions. This is something I’ve learned from and I’m focused on moving forward.” His agent, Jonathan Perzley, also said in a statement, “During the stop, police recovered a very small amount of marijuana from his vehicle. Oday accepted responsibility for the traffic infraction and all other charges were dismissed.” He was pulled over by police on January 10th in a traffic stop, which is when this infraction occurred.

This is just the latest mishap in an offseason that has been full of them for the Jets under first year head coach Todd Bowles. Defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson was also disciplined by the league for violating the substance abuse policy and received a four-game suspension. That happened on July 2nd, and just 12 days later Richardson had a run in with the law as well, being charged with resisting arrest after being caught in a high speed race in Missouri.

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Then there was the incident involving Smith and former teammate IK Enemkpali when his jaw was broken. Enemkpali is longer with the Jets and was signed by Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills, but could still face not only discipline from the NFL but the law as well.

In a statement, the Jets rookie head coach said, “News like this is never welcome. We will support Oday as we continue with our preparations for the upcoming season.” That is all we will probably hear from Bowles for the foreseeable future about the incident, as they play the Atlanta Falcons Friday night in their second preseason game and he will more than likely have questions asked about the game, not incident.

For Aboushi, this could be the end of the line in his Jets’ tenure. He was originally selected as a tackle out of Virginia, but was moved to guard by the team. He was active for every game as a rookie, but didn’t see a snap until last season when he started 10 games at left guard.

He did a solid job there, but entered this offseason in what has turned into a crowded unit. The Jets decided to shore the position up in free agency, signing James Carpenter away from the Seattle Seahawks. The man Aboushi replaced, 2013 third round pick Brian Winters, is also recovered from his ACL tear and pushing for a spot as well. Aboushi has spent most of this training camp with the third-team offense, as Dakota Dozier, a 2014 fourth round pick, has been working with the second unit.

He has took some reps at right guard behind Willie Colon, the incumbent who looks to have already won a starting job. That versatility could be what saves Aboushi’s roster spot. “I think it helps that maybe I can kick out to left or right tackle and maybe play guard, either way. I’ve always been told that versatility is always better,” Aboushi said.

The suspension will put him behind the eight-ball, but it is only for one game. 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. He has a lot of work to do though, as he is already on the third team, and the next step if you fall from that rung is usually the street as a free agent.

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