What the Chargers are getting in OG Oday Aboushi

Good morning, Chargers fans. I hope you’re all starting off this week in the best way possible.

Today, we’ve got a little Q&A with the help of Jeremy Reisman, our fellow SB Nation writer for the Lions site, Pride of Detroit. I reached out to Reisman to get some additional insight into new Chargers guard, Oday Aboushi, to see what else we may be missing about the player who will be battling for the team’s right guard position come training camp.

With that, let’s jump right in.

1.) A lot of analysts and offensive line aficionados believed Aboushi was playing the best football of his career last season with the Lions. Do you agree with this observation?

“Without question, the Lions got more out of Aboushi in 2020 than anyone was expecting. In his first season in Detroit (2019), Aboushi was an afterthought, often appearing on the inactive list as a healthy scratch. But in 2020, he beat out veteran Kenny Wiggins for a spot on the roster. Then during the season he eventually took over for starter Joe Dahl and was a clear improvement.”

2.) Were Lions fans unhappy at all that Aboushi wasn’t re-signed? Would you have liked him to stay in Detroit for a longer time?

“I think Lions fans were mildly surprised that Aboushi wasn’t re-signed. Given that he’s 29, and the Lions are going through an aggressive rebuild, it’s not all that shocking. However, Detroit has not added any offensive linemen yet this offseason and in addition to letting Aboushi walk, they also cut the man he replaced in Joe Dahl.”

“Given the extremely modest contract he signed with the Chargers, the Lions should have at least tried bringing him back, but they apparently have some other plan to address their currently-thin offensive line.”

3.) How would you describe Aboushi as a player and what do you think he brings to the Chargers’ offensive line?

“Aboushi is a technically sound blocker and you won’t see him often fooled by stunts or disguised blitzers. He’ll be a steady force for a team who—theoretically speaking—may need to protect a young, promising quarterback. He won’t be a mauler in the run game, but he can either start or back up both guard spots with a good amount of reliability.”

4.) What is Aboushi like off of the field? What type of personality are the Chargers getting in the locker room?

“Aboushi is a pretty quiet person in the locker room and won’t blow anyone away in any press conference. However, he does have a pretty interesting story to tell, and you’ll often see him talk about certain social issues dear to him on social media. If you want to know more about his story—starting with being the first player of Palestinian descent in the NFL—I highly recommend this read from one of our former writers, Mansur Shaheen.”

5.) If there are any areas that you believe Aboushi needs to improve in, what would thse be?

“At this point in his career, Aboushi is probably just who he is. However, I’d like to see him develop a bit of a mean streak in the run game.”