Pittsburg, PA
Steelers Land Bengals Newest Star in Re-Draft
The results from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 rookie class were largely positive, at least from those who were healthy, but how would things change in a redraft?
ESPN tackled that exact concept, going through the first two rounds and retroactively projecting how each team would approach the NFL Draft with oodles of new information at their disposal.
Pittsburgh selected Washington offensive tackle Troy Fautanu with their first-round pick at No. 20 overall. The 24-year-old sprained his MCL during the preseason opener against the Houston Texans before dislocating his kneecap in practice ahead of the team’s Week 3 bout with the Los Angeles Chargers, limiting him to just one regular season game and 55 snaps on the year.
He was on the board when the Steelers were on the clock in the do-over, though Brooke Pryor opted to take fellow tackle Amarius Mims instead, a Georgia product who originally went No. 18 to the Cincinnati Bengals.
“The Steelers could consider keeping Fautanu in this spot, but he’s tough to evaluate after he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2,” Pryor wrote. “Mims also battled through injuries, but he had a solid season and was especially key in pass-blocking situations. Drafting Mims could’ve allowed the Steelers to move Broderick Jones to the left side and insert Mims at right tackle.”
Mims started 13 contests for Cincinnati this past year at right tackle, allowing 33 pressures and four sacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
Fautanu, on the other hand, slid all the way down to the New England Patriots at the top of the second round at No. 34 overall.
Pittsburgh’s actual second-round pick at No. 51 was Zach Frazier, who developed into one of the league’s best centers after starting 15 games and ceding just 12 pressures while also imposing his will as a run blocker.
He went No. 31 to the San Francisco 49ers, meaning Pryor had to pivot and go with defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro, who was the Atlanta Falcons’ choice at No. 35 out of Clemson in the real draft.
“With Frazier long gone in this scenario, the Steelers could get good value by reloading the defensive line with Orhorhoro,” Pryor wrote. “Though Cam Heyward had one of his best seasons, the 35-year-old is in the twilight of his career, and the cupboard behind him is getting bare. Orhorhoro missed a chunk of his rookie season while on injured reserve (ankle), but his versatility and upside make him a great fit.”
Orhorhoro appeared in just eight games as a rookie, which was a byproduct of him being a healthy inactive to begin the year while also sustaining an ankle injury in Week 8 versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
When he was on the field, the 23-year-old logged 11 tackles and six pressures across 147 defensive snaps.
Neither Payton Wilson nor Mason McCormick, each of whom received significant playing time and impressed, were chosen in the redraft.
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Pittsburg, PA
Winter storm to usher in up to 5 inches of snow in Pittsburgh
Pittsburg, PA
Pennsylvania hunter charged after nearly shooting person, police say
A hunter in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, was charged after nearly shooting a person, according to police.
Karen Gaus, 42, was arrested and charged with recklessly endangering another person and disorderly conduct in connection with the incident, officials said.
The Susquehanna Regional Police Department said in a news release that officers responded to Beattys Tollgate Road in East Donegal Township on Nov. 29 for a hunting complaint. Police said a homeowner was outside their residence when they heard multiple gunshots and a bullet passing by.
Officers began investigating and found Gaus nearby, who admitted that she was hunting and fired two shots at a deer in the direction of the victim’s home, according to the news release.
Gaus, according to court documents, is awaiting her preliminary hearing, which is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2026.
Pennsylvania’s firearms deer season ends on Saturday. It opened on Nov. 29 and included two Sundays: Nov. 30 and Dec. 7. Earlier this summer, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a bill that reversed what state lawmakers called the “outdated” ban on Sunday hunting.
Before the firearms deer season began, the Game Commission said it expected more than 500,000 hunters would be out and about.
Pittsburg, PA
Giants release former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver
The New York Giants have released former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud, the team announced. McCloud was on their practice squad.
McCloud was released from the Atlanta Falcons earlier this season after being sent home by head coach Raheem Morris in a mysterious exit.
“I sent him home,” Morris said. “Excused absence — home. Working through some things right now that are private with my young man, and we’ll figure those things out as we go.”
The former Falcons wide receiver room has gone through ups and downs. They fired wide receivers coach Ike Hilliward in Week 3, a coach that McCloud is close with from his time with the Steelers. Hilliard coached McCloud for two seasons.
Morris said that McCloud’s issues have nothing to do with the fact that Hilliard was fired.
“This is between Ray-Ray, the organization and us and dealing with those things,” Morris said. “Nothing to do with that. It is just more a football thing and what we got to get straightened out.”
The former Steelers wide receiver is a valuable slot receiver who can also be a key cog on returns, but has floated around the NFL over the years trying to find a long-term home.
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