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Pitt has had a relatively quiet offseason but things will start to pick up as we get closer to the fall. One significant piece of news dropped today when the team announced that Ejuan Price will have surgery for a torn left pectoral muscle. Chris Peak of PantherLair first reported the news on Twitter.
The presser from Pitt noted that the injury was sustained during a workout this week. Head coach Paul Chryst issued a brief statement.
"We are incredibly disappointed for Ejuan," Chryst said. "We will do everything we can to help him stay encouraged and focused through this challenge."
The biggest problem here, of course, is that this is a blow to an already down unit. Not only is the team thin on the defensive line, but it was already a unit that was going to have significant changes. All-World talent Aaron Donald was a first-round pick in this year's NFL Draft. Starting defensive end Bryan Murphy and arguably Pitt's biggest sack threat after Donald left the team. Starter Ty Ezell graduated and is hoping to play in the NFL or do this.
Add it all up and Pitt will be breaking in three new starters on the line. Price's injury comes at a bad time as he had a real shot to become one of those new starters at defensive end. Even though Price wasn't a full-time starter, he had some significant experience, playing in six games last year, racking up 23 tackles, including four for a loss. His presence would have made a difficult transition a bit easier.
The line already had the appearance of one that could struggle a little. Losing Price just makes things that much more difficult on defense.
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