Seattle Seahawks Rumors: Oday Aboushi Signed, Offensive Line Improved Again
Seattle Seahawks rumors have the team signing Oday Aboushi to a one-year contract. This won’t come as a surprise to many fans of the team, as Aboushi had been linked to the Seahawks for about a week. Now the signing is official, giving the team another guard on the offensive line. This follows an earlier signing of offensive lineman Luke Joeckel, who could either be used as a left tackle or left guard this year for the team.
A report from the team itself was posted on Twitter, confirming this Seattle Seahawks news from Monday (March 20). It immediately gives the team a boost on the offensive line and more protection for quarterback Russell Wilson for the 2017 NFL season. An interesting piece of news was also posted on the Seahawks’ Twitter feed, stating that Oday Aboushi had only allowed four sacks or quarterback hits on 287 snaps in which the quarterback held on to the ball for more than 2.0 seconds. That stat could be extremely important with Wilson taking the snaps.
Oday Aboushi, who is 6-foot-5, 308 pounds, spent his first two NFL seasons with the New York Jets. He started 10 games at left guard for the Jets in 2014. Then Aboushi spent the past two seasons with the Houston Texans, appearing in 11 games (eight starts) over that time. Specializing in pass protection, this could give the Seahawks a much-needed boost on the offensive line. While Aboushi may not be a “name” around the NFL, he gives the Seahawks some additional size that the team had been lacking during the 2016 season.
These aren’t the only Seattle Seahawks rumors that have been making news on Monday. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the day has been packed with Marshawn Lynch news, suggesting that he wants to unretire and play for the Oakland Raiders. If Lynch unretires, he becomes an active member of the Seahawks again, forcing general manager John Schneider to make some important decisions about his future. Whether Lynch wants to return to the NFL has been a hot topic for two years now, with the link to the Raiders happening because it’s his hometown team.
Before the Oday Aboushi contract becomes official, the Seattle Seahawks’ salary cap space stands at just over $6.2 million. This is an estimated number, contingent on the team moving forward with everyone remaining on the active roster. Should the front office cut any players, complete trades, or restructure contracts, that number could become a bit better for the team. As it stands, this might be the final free agent signing the team can make, unless some tough decisions are made about cutting veterans in order to save some money for additional moves.
Additional pieces of Seattle Seahawks news that have been noteworthy this offseason includes signing running back Eddie Lacy away from the Green Bay Packers, meeting with free agent running back Jamaal Charles, re-signing cornerback DeShawn Shead, signing inside linebacker Arthur Browns, and negotiating a new deal with tight end Luke Willson. The Seahawks’ kicker is different as well, as the team acquired Blair Walsh from the Minnesota Vikings and allowed Steven Hauschka to sign a free-agent deal with the Buffalo Bills.
There are still a lot of questions about the team and what the course of action will be during the 2017 NFL Draft. It is expected that the Seahawks will target a cornerback during the first round, with many NFL analysts also feeling that the team will address some questions on the offensive line in later rounds. Adding Oday Aboushi and Luke Joeckel were good moves for the team, but it won’t be enough on its own to give the offensive line some much-needed depth for next year. Fans should expect more Seattle Seahawks rumors to surface about the line, especially as the draft gets a bit closer.
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