Pitt Football: Greg Romeus Still Has Time To Make an Impact

As the Panthers head towards a primetime showdown against Connecticut Thursday night, they know that a win will likely give them a stranglehold on the Big East.

Add to that the much-anticipated return to the Pitt defensive lineup of last season's Big East Defensive Player of the Year Greg Romeus, and there is a lot to look forward to on Thursday night.

The only problem: where exactly does Romeus fit in on the Pitt defense right now?  When Romeus went down, it almost seemed quite clear that he would return to his normal starting spot when he got healthy.  Now that the time is here, I don't think that can be the case at all.  Not with the way Brandon Lindsey has played in Romeus' absence.

With Romeus out since the Utah game on Sept. 2,  Lindsey has emerged as one of conference’s best defensive players. The defensive end has eight sacks, second in the conference to teammate Jabaal Sheard’s nine. Lindsey also ranks second in the Big East in tackles for a loss.

Lindsey has the advantage of having played all season, while Romeus has played in only one game in 11 months. Romeus’ status will be decided at game time Thursday.

This is obviously a tough decision for Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt, who has shown loyalty toward his players in the past.

This shouldn't be a game time decision; it should be an easy one.  I know they say in football that you don't lose your job to injury, but Romeus basically got "Wally Pipped" by Lindsey, who should be the starter and get most of the snaps the rest of the season.

This is a good problem to have though.  There is still time for Romeus to make a big impact for the Panthers the rest of the season.

I would expect Romeus to be a part of a rotation up front.  While that would cut into the number of snaps for Lindsey, it keeps them both active during the game and gives both the chance to be productive.

How does this effect Romeus' potential draft stock?  Not much.  He's healthy now, which is the big thing, and most scouts already know what type of player he is capable of being.  With some solid work outs in the offseason, I'm sure his stock will be up once again.

What's funny though is that many felt that the Panthers had the best pair of defensive ends in the Big East coming into the season. They do, only it’s been Sheard and Lindsey, rather than Romeus and Sheard.

With four games remaining, Lindsey already has as many sacks as Romeus did last season, when Romeus shared the Defensive Player of the Year award with former Pitt lineman Mick Williams.

There is just no way you can take the kid out of the lineup right now.

Having said that, Romeus deserves some playing time.  I'm sure he will get it.  There is still plenty of football left for the Panthers to make this situation work.

Somewhere along the line, Romeus will make a big impact for this team.  You can count on it.