Pittsburg, PA
Steelers Facing Difficult Roster Decision at TE
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have concluded Organized Team Activities and departed for a midsummer break. Training camp waits on the other side of roughly six weeks off and later will come roster cuts as the team trims down to a final group of 53 men.
Some of the decisions the Steelers need to make will be easier than others. Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette said during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan’s The Starkey Show that he believes tight end will be the most difficult of them all to cut down from five guys to three.
“Tight end is so hard for me to predict right now,” Fittipaldo said. “You got [Pat] Freiermuth, you got Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward, Rodney Williams and they brought in [MyCole] Pruitt, who was with Smith in Atlanta. That’s five guys right there. Are you gonna keep even four of those guys…That’s going to be hard for them on cutdown day,” he said.
Freiermuth and Washington figure to be locks to make the roster as the top two tight ends on the roster, which leaves it as a three-man race for what will be no more than two tight end spots on the 53-man roster when the time comes. Heyward has shown some playmaking flashes over his two seasons in Pittsburgh. Williams has experience in the program and Pruitt has more snaps played in the system as a former Atlanta Falcon under Smith’s coaching.
Heyward has filled a sort of hybrid role for the Steelers, at least during OTAs as the full roster gets accustomed to offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s new system. He’s lined up at tight end, in the backfield and as a slot receiver at times. And even more versatility will give him a leg up in the race for a roster spot, according to Fittipaldo.
“I’ll tell you one thing – you better play special teams,” Fittipaldo said. “Special teams are going to be a big factor in that and luckily for Heyward he’s a good special teams player.”
There will be plenty of speculation over the coming weeks but no decisions until the Steelers hit the fields at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, throw on pads and get back to playing football.
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Pittsburg, PA
Pittsburg father killed in hit-and-run crash after leaving church
PITTSBURG – A father of two was fatally struck while walking home from church in Pittsburg on Friday night.
Police said they received a call about 9:15 p.m. about a crash in the 1500 block of Willow Pass Road and when officers arrived they found Joaquin Reveulta Galvez in the middle of the street.
Revuelta Galvez was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead a few hours later.
“There was some vehicle debris and the lone victim and that was the extent of the scene,” Cpt. Philip Galer said, adding that there was a headlight of a vehicle also there at the crash site.
In a news release, police said the entire crash was captured on surveillance video.
Revuelta Galvez’s family said investigators told them that he appeared to stumble and fall to the ground before the vehicle hit him.
“He was wearing sandals, and then he fell and landed in the street and a car ran over him,” said his partner Maribel Macias. The couple have two grown sons, and Macias said the young men were close with their father.
Macias said the family didn’t know about the crash until one of them noticed the emergency responders and police vehicles around the corner from the mobile home park where they live.
Now, during the holidays, she and her sons are grieving for Revuelta Galvez.
They said Revuelta Galvez had already been through so much. He had been recovering from brain surgery last year, but despite his health problems, he was a friendly neighbor and loving father with a good heart.
A relative said they saw him at the Sovereign Shepherd Church just a half hour before the crash, and he had bought some pupusas to bring back home.
His family wonders how someone could drive away and leave him there.
“If they had called 9-1-1… he would be alive right now. We don’t know how long he was on the ground bleeding, dying,” Macias said.
A relative set up a GoFundMe page to help the family pay for burial and funeral expenses.
Galer said investigators are withholding details from the surveillance footage to protect the investigation.
He said they do have leads on the vehicle that struck Revuelta Galvez.
Anyone with information on the hit-and-run crash is asked to contact Pittsburg police at (925) 646-2442 or contact Officer James Pena at (925) 252-4146.
Jana Katsuyama is a reporter for KTVU. Email Jana at jana.katsuyama@fox.com. Call her at 510-326-5529. Or follow her on Twitter @JanaKTVU and read her other reports on her bio page.
Pittsburg, PA
Steelers Have Weekly Plans for Justin Fields
The Pittsburgh Steelers have put their plan to increase quarterback Justin Fields’ involvement in motion, though it’s not yet a completely ironed-out component of the offense.
Per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo, Fields stated that the Steelers have a package in place for him every week, though it isn’t always clear how or when he’ll be utilized.
“I have a set package each and every week,” Fields said. “I think the play-calling is random to be honest with you. It’s kind of a feel thing with Arthur [Smith]. How I’m going to be used is a question for him honestly.”
After logging three snaps and rushing for 17 yards in Pittsburgh’s Week 11 win over the Baltimore Ravens, Fields saw his reps more than doubled to seven in a Week 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
The highlight of the 25-year-old’s day was a 30-yard run in the fourth quarter that advanced the Steelers into Cleveland territory, with the drive resulting in a Jaylen Warren touchdown. Fields’ two other attempts on the ground went for a combined -4 yards.
Pittsburgh also put their trust in him through the air on a 3rd-and-4 play while up 19-18 with 3:34 left in the contest. On his first throw since Week 6, Fields targeted George Pickens down the field but couldn’t complete the connection, which brought on the punt unit.
The Browns scored on their ensuing possession before thwarting the Steelers’ final scoring attempt of the night to clinch the victory.
Russell Wilson, who went 21-for-28 with 270 yards and a touchdown, also shared his uncertainty as to how and when Fields would be inserted into games moving forward.
“I don’t know when it’s going to happen,” Wilson said. “Whenever it does, all I want us to do is win. When Justin gets in there I’m rooting for Justin to do great and make a big play. When I go back in, it’s vice versa. We’re always rooting for each other.”
The Steelers haven’t been quiet about their intentions to continue featuring Fields. While things didn’t shake their way against the Browns as they perfect those arrangements, it’s fair to assume they’ll continue to ramp up his participation as the season continues on.
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Pittsburg, PA
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