Tag: Oday Aboushi

Detroit’s offensive line is suddenly the least of the Lions worries

The Lions might be 0-2 but don’t blame Frank Ragnow, Taylor Decker and the Detroit offensive line

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The offensive line is always a sore spot for the Detroit Lions with their fans. In many years both distant past and recent vintage, it’s been a justified beef. The Lions have had some explosive skill position groups watered down by ineffective line play over the years.

Not this year. The Lions might be 0-2 and the offense sputtering, but don’t blame the guys up front. Through the first two weeks, the offensive line is the best part of the Detroit attack.

Left tackle Taylor Decker and center Frank Ragnow, both former first-round picks, have played very well. Decker had a so-so Week 1 against the Chicago Bears but looked dominant against the Green Bay Packers in Week 2. His run blocking was as good as it’s ever looked and he didn’t have any breakdowns in pass protection. His 80.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus topped celebrated Packers counterpart David Bakhtiari, who had the advantage of going against Detroit’s feckless defense.

Ragnow was the only Lion to grade higher than Decker in Week 2, and the PFF score reflected the eye-test excellence from the third-year center. He is PFF’s No. 2-graded center on the year and deservingly so.

Rookie right guard Jonah Jackson has also performed well. The third-round pick from Ohio State looks like he belongs, and he has nicely paired with Ragnow to create some huge holes in the run game. It’s not their fault the running backs aren’t consistently hitting them or that the tight ends have been dreadful in the blocking department. For a point of reference, Jackson has a higher PFF grade than the man he’s replacing, Graham Glasgow, has racked up in the Denver Broncos’ two losses. And he’s doing it for almost a 90% lower salary than what Glasgow got to leave Detroit.

Even Tyrell Crosby has performed acceptably at right tackle despite the fact he’s not supposed to be playing. With Halapoulivaati Vaitai missing the first two weeks, Crosby the backup has stepped up nicely. He’s right at the league average in overall PFF grade but only four right tackles have a better run blocking score.

Alas, there is still one other spot. Left guard is a massive hole with regular starter Joe Dahl on injured reserve. Oday Aboushi shouldn’t ever see the field again after his inept performance in Week 2 that included a crushing personal foul penalty that helped key the Packers huge surge. Dahl looked fine in Week 1 and he could return as soon as Week 5, thankfully. With rookie Logan Stenberg also in the mix, the Lions might have the answer in-house already.

Matthew Stafford has been sacked five times in the two games, but that’s more on the QB than it is on the line. Stafford took an awful sack late against Chicago that was 100% on him for not throwing the ball away. That was true twice in Green Bay, too; Stafford is on the hook for three of his own five sacks for holding the ball too long or not escaping avoidable pressure.

Football Outsiders ranks the Lions offensive line second overall in pass protection through two weeks. They adjust for difficultly of schedule and competition, something PFF does not account for. Based on what we’ve seen through two weeks, it’s deserved praise for coach Hank Fraley in his first years as the man in charge of the O-line.

Lions pivotal play of the game: Ugly errors before and after the half bury the Lions

The Detroit Lions suffered an embarrassing 42-21 loss against the Packers after making ugly errors they could not recover from.

The Detroit Lions could not overcome a number of costly mistakes made against the Green Bay Packers in Week 2, essentially cascading to point of no return.

After lowing yet another double-digit lead — an NFL record fourth in a row — the Lions would eventually lose 42-21, leaving many scratching their heads and searching for answers.

The Lions started off hot, scoring touchdowns on each of their two opening drives and holding the Packers to only three points, but things went downhill real quick.

Lets set the scene.

After forcing a Packers punt, the Lions are looking to end the first half with the lead. The drive opens with a D’Andre Swift run, then Matthew Stafford takes a sack that almost landed the Packers two points, but instead, it is a ten-yard sack, and the Lions end up on their own one-yard line.

The Packers use their last timeout to salvage any time they can get it to possibly land points to end the half. To keep the clock running, the Lions hand the ball to Adrian Peterson, but Oday Aboushi gets called for holding and, in turn, stops the clock leaving the Packers with a minute to drive down the field.

Green Bay opens their drive with an out of bounds throw, but Will Harris landed an unnecessary roughness call giving the Packers a free 15 yards. On the ensuing play, Harris was the culprit of another unnecessary roughness call this time horse-collaring Davante Adams after an eight-yard catch and stopping the clock on top of another free 15 yards for the Packers. A couple plays later and the Packers punch in it for six, giving them the lead.

A failed 57-field goal attempt from Matt Prater closes out the half, with the Packers in the lead — after the Lions had led the entire first half.

The Packers have all of the momentum opening the second half and capitalize with an Aaron Jones career-best 75 yard touchdown run.

To add further salt into the wound, not log after, Jamal Agnew gets called for unnecessary roughness penalty after calling for a fair catch and then blocking a Packers’ gunner, pushing the Lions to their five-yard line — this leads to a Stafford pick-six.

The number of mistakes the Lions committed at the end of the first half and to open up the second half was inexcusable.

The Lions will need a long look in the mirror after this loss and figure out where to go from here as they are heading into the desert for a Week 3 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.

Detroit Lions place Joe Dahl on I.R., sign Kenny Wiggins off of practice squad

The Detroit Lions announced they have placed left guard Joe Dahl on injured reserve and signed Kenny Wiggins off of practice squad in a corresponding move.

The Detroit Lions announced they have placed left guard Joe Dahl on injured reserve and signed Kenny Wiggins off of practice squad in a corresponding move.

Dahl injured his groin in Thursday’s practice and like most mid-week injuries, there were some longterm implications. He will likely be replaced by Oday Aboushi in the starting lineup at left guard and Wiggins will fill in as a reserve alongside Logan Stenberg.

Dahl will be out for a minimum of three weeks, meaning he will be out through the Lions bye in Week 5, and could potentially return to the active roster for the Lions Week 6 game in Jacksonville.

Wiggins — who can play at both guard spots, as well as, at right tackle — has played in 31 games for the Lions over the last two-plus years, including starting 13 and being heavily involved in the guard rotation in 2019. He appears to be behind Aboushi in the pecking order in 2020, but it’s too early to tell if the Lions would lean on his veteran experience over the up and coming rookie Stenberg.

Mike Ford placed on I.R. as Oday Aboushi officially re-signs with the Lions

Ford was injured in late August in practice

The Detroit Lions made it official on Sunday night. The Lions announced they have re-signed offensive lineman Oday Aboushi to the active roster.

To make room for Aboushi, the team placed cornerback and special teams standout Mike Ford on injured reserve.

Ford was injured late in training camp in a collision with WR Victor Bolden. He suffered a leg injury and did not return to any practice sessions.

The move gives the Lions nine offensive lineman and reduces the CB total to six. Aboushi has the ability to play any spot on the OL outside of center, though he has primarily played as part of the team’s guard rotation in 2019.

Report: Lions bring back OL Oday Aboushi

Aboushi played in seven games for DET in 2019 including two starts

Oday Aboushi’s wild ride on the Detroit Lions roster roller coaster has climbed up a new hill. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Lions have re-signed the veteran offensive lineman, one day after Aboushi was part of the cutdown to the 53-man roster limit.

Aboushi played in seven games for the Lions at guard in 2019, including two starts. The 29-year-old has also played for the Seahawks (with Lions OC Darrell Bevell), Texans, Jets and Cardinals in his journeyman career. He lost out on an initial roster spot to rookie Logan Stenberg and unheralded Matt Nelson.

There has been no immediate corresponding roster move to make room for Aboushi on the active roster. However, the Lions are expected to place rookie TE Hunter Bryant on injured reserve to create a roster spot.

One possible explanation for why Aboushi was cut and then brought back is for salary purposes. By cutting Aboushi, his contract figure for 2020 is no longer guaranteed. The Lions can now cut him (again) during the season and not incur any salary cap penalty.

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PFF ranks Lions OL in the middle of the pack heading into 2020 season

Pro Football Focus ranked all the offensive lines in the NFL heading into the 2020 NFL seasons and the Detroit Lions checked in at 16.

Pro Football Focus ranked all 32 offensive lines heading into the 2020 NFL seasons and the Detroit Lions checked in the dead middle of the pack at 16th overall.

“The Lions finished with the No. 11 offensive line last season as they had two players finish in the top 10 at their respective positions — center Frank Ragnow finished sixth and right guard Graham Glasgow finished 10th — while left tackle Taylor Decker ranked 19th,” PFF’s Steve Palazzolo said. “There will be some turnover as Glasgow moves on in free agency and right tackle Rick Wagner also departs.”

The loss of Glasgow is a big enough blow for the Lions to drop in pre-season rankings but swapping out Wagner for Halapoulivaati Vaitai was an upgrade according to PFF’s end of year grades, where Wagner finished as the 61st ranked offensive tackle and Vaitai graded as the 22nd.

“At tackle, Decker enters the fifth year of his rookie contract, and he has ranked above the league average on true pass sets and run blocking grade on both gap and zone runs since 2016,” Palazzolo continued. “Left guard Joe Dahl performed well in his first year as a starter in 2019, though it was a bit lopsided as he ranked 23rd with a pass-blocking grade of 73.0, but he finished just 48th as a run blocker at 57.1. Ragnow had the No. 2 grade among centers in the run game at 78.2, showing off the skills that made him one of the best interior offensive line prospects of the PFF College era (since 2014).”

Decker, Ragnow, and Dahl give the Lions a trio of returning talent, solidifying the left tackle and center spots, while Dahl’s ability to play both guard spots — and center — gives the Lions flexibility to find the best player available at the other guard position.

“The questions are on the right side, where Halapoulivaati Vaitai signed for $45 million over five years to start at right tackle,” Palazzolo said. “Vaitai is coming off a career-high 76.2 run block grade, but his pass-blocking grade of just 55.2 since 2016 ranks 84 out of 94 qualifiers, so that remains a major question mark. At right guard, third-round pick Jonah Jackson was our favorite pass protecting guard in the draft, and he has the all-around game to step right in as a starter. He’ll compete with veteran Oday Aboushi, who hasn’t posted an overall grade above 62.7 since 2014. Keep an eye on fourth-rounder Logan Stenberg, who brings excellent power and size to the line and may be a solid starter down the road.”

Curiously missing from Palazzolo’s assessment is Kenny Wiggins, who finished last season as PFF’s 41st highest-rated guard. Last season he played ahead of Aboushi and figures to be the biggest challenger for Jonah Jackson at right guard in 2020. At worst, Wiggins is likely ticketed to be a big part of the guard rotation.

“Between Decker, Dahl and Ragnow, the Lions have a strong foundation up front,” Palazzolo summarized, “but the right side of the line will determine where the Lions finish in the end-of-the-season rankings.”

Based on the COVID-19 environment and lack of warm-up practices/preseason games, it wouldn’t be overly surprising to see the Lions turn to Wiggins at right guard to start the season. He has scheme experience and familiarity playing next to Ragnow which could give him an early edge over the rookies. How long Wiggins can hold Jackson/Stenberg off will be one of the more interesting storylines to follow during training camp and the early parts of the season.

Oday Aboushi donates 35,000 pounds of food to his hometown food bank

Lions offensive guard Oday Aboushi donated and distributed 35,000 pounds of food, and he joined The Jim Rome Show to talk about it.

Lions offensive guard Oday Aboushi is one of the genuinely good people you’ll meet in life. Throughout his journeyman NFL career, he’s always been a generous and thoughtful man. He proved his giving spirit once again this week, and Aboushi joined the Jim Rome Show to talk about it.

Aboushi and his sister donated 35,000 pounds of food, including fresh produce, to those in need in his home city, New York.

“It was amazing,” Aboushi told Rome enthusiastically. “We can’t take all the credit. We teamed up with a bunch of amazing community members.”

Aboushi humbly describes “the rush” of feeling the support and gratitude of his community.

It’s great to see a player remembering and honoring his roots and using his success to help those who helped him succeed.

How Jonah Jackson shakes up the Lions’ offensive line depth chart

Examining how selecting Jonah Jackson in the third round will shake up the Detroit Lions’ offensive line depth chart.

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The Detroit Lions have a vacancy at their starting right guard position, and they currently have their fair share of linemen vying to take that role.

With the selection of Ohio State’ Jonah Jackson, that competition has gotten even more intense.

Jackson has lined up at left guard, center, and right guard throughout his college career, making him one of the more versatile linemen on the Lions roster. While the Lions have a hole open at right guard, they have been known to shake up the starting five, as they did with both Graham Glasgow and Frank Ragnow.

The drafting of Jackson may have offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell take a look at the entire interior offensive line and try to find the optimal position for each player.

As mentioned earlier, there are a lot of guys in the fight for a starting role. Joe Dahl was the starting left guard last season but will have to win that job again this year. Veterans Oday Aboushi and Kenny Wiggins, who both have multiple years of starting experience, will return to the Lions in hopes of making the first-team lineup. Former San Francisco first-round pick Joshua Garnett joins the team hoping for a fresh start and a chance to revive his career. Also in the fight is Russell Bodine, Beau Benzschawel, Caleb Benenoch, and Casey Tucker.

Ragnow’s job is safe, and he will likely return to play center, but he could go back to guard, a position he played during his rookie season. The Lions traded up to take Jackson, meaning that they want him to come in and contribute right away. While it’s unclear which guard spot he’ll take, his role seems well defined.

That leaves the remaining eight interior linemen to compete for the remaining spot on the line. Detroit usually keeps five interior linemen on their roster, so most of this group will be off the team come August.

Jonah Jackson’s arrival will force the Lions to rethink their offensive line situation. Regardless of where he lines up, one thing that is very clear is that he will be starting in Week 1.

Lions players helping their communities amidst times of crisis

Several Detroit Lions players and coaches have been recognized for helping their communities during the COVID-19 crisis.

Given all that is going on in the world right now, it is refreshing to get some good news.

Several players on the Detroit Lions have taken it upon themselves to help others in these trying times. Whether it is providing food and supplies to first responders on the front lines of the COVID-19 epidemic, or helping communities rebuild after natural disasters, these men have shown that they are much more than just football players.

Members of the Lions organization such as starting center Frank Ragnow, running backs coach Kyle Caskey, and head coach Matt Patricia have already done a lot for their communities in recent weeks, but there have been several other players who also deserve recognition for what they have done.

On Easter Sunday, a two-mile-wide tornado tore through the southeast side of Mississippi. In the center of the storm was the town of Bassfield, where Detroit Lions safety C.J. Moore was born and raised. The small town, with a population of just over 200 people, was ravaged by the storm.

All of this destruction, on top of a global pandemic, wasn’t enough to stop Moore and his twin brother A.J. from returning home to help. The two young NFL safeties loaded up on supplies and went to Bassfield. There, they were able to distribute cases of water and toiletries to nearly half of the town’s population.

Moore is looking to make as much of an impact on the field in 2020 as he has in his community. Brought to the team as an undrafted free agent in 2019, he secured a spot on the 53-man roster as a core special teamer and extra safety.

Offensive lineman Oday Aboushi may not be able to help those suffering from the novel coronavirus in the way his siblings, who are health care workers in New York City, have been able to, but that hasn’t stopped him from providing aide to the people of his hometown. The Brooklyn, New York native has done his part by providing food and protective gear to the health care workers on the front lines of the epidemic.

Aboushi wasn’t the only Lions offensive lineman to help out health care workers though. Backup tackle Tyrell Crosby bought dinner for the staff of the Valley Hospital Corelab in his hometown of Las Vegas.

Wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. helped the community of San Diego, where he lives in the offseason, by buying meals for 400 staff members of the Scripps Health Hospital.

These Detroit Lions players have set great examples of what it means to be an NFL athlete. Despite all that is going on in the world, they stepped up and did what they needed to do to help the people of their community.

Lions agree to terms with OL Oday Aboushi on a 1-year deal

Justin Rogers is reporting that the Detroit Lions have agreed to terms and will bring back offensive lineman Oday Aboushi on a one-year deal.

As first reported by the Detroit News’ Justin Rogers and later confirmed by the Detroit Lions, the team has agreed to terms with offensive lineman Oday Aboushi on a one-year deal.

A seven-year veteran, Aboushi was originally selected in the fifth round (No. 141 overall) by the New York Jets in 2013 and was with the team for two seasons before moving on to the Houston Texans. After two years with the Texans, Aboushi spent a year with the Seattle Seahawks in 2017 and Arizona Cardinals in 2018, before joining the Lions.

Aboushi signed with the Lions in 2019 and served as their fifth interior offensive lineman, spending the first half of the season as a gameday inactive or on the bench. He saw sporadic work due to injury in Weeks 9, 12 and 15, before taking over in the starting lineup in Weeks 16 and 17.

Currently, the Lions have Frank Ragnow and Joe Dahl returning to their starting roles at center and left guard respectively, but there is still a massive hole at right guard after the departure of Graham Glasgow (who signed with the Denver Broncos) and Kenny Wiggins (still an unsigned unrestricted free agent).

If the Lions don’t add another player, Aboushi and Beau Benzschawel would likely be considered the front-runners for the right job role — but that seems like an unrealistic expectation at this time, as more additions (via free agency or the draft) are sure to follow.

At a minimum, Aboushi appears to be a solid veteran depth addition who can push younger players in camp and potentially claim a backend role on the 53-man roster.