[2023] BREAKING - Steelers acquire WR Gurule from Minnesota

[smackemz]

 
Gurule quickly making an impact during his first Steelers' practice

 

Pittsburgh, PA - In what might be considered a surprising move by many, the Steelers have acquired WR Paul Gurule and ILB Narinder Beckmann from Minnesota.  With the extreme off-season improvement shown by QB Robert Morris, it became clear that with the strength of Pittsburgh's defense, they have an opportunity to make significant strides this season.  When talking with the Steelers front office, we learned that the Gurule trade talks have been going on for several weeks and it was an exciting outcome to arrive at a mutually beneficial deal.  "Throughout pre-season and into the first few weeks of the year, we were really excited about the progress that Robby made in the offseason.  His decision making has been top notch, he's making smart throws, has improved his accuracy greatly, and is showing command in offensive play calling".  That statement came from Steelers Owner/Head coach Smackemz about the state of the Steelers offense.  He further elaborated, "Our defensive unit is one of the best in the league, and with Robby's improvement we felt the time was right to bring in another star playmaker for him.  We love everything about Paul's game, he has good speed, runs extremely crisp routes, and has really good hands.  We're extremely excited to add him into the mix with Tomayo, Berendes, and our other offensive weapons.'  

Gurule is coming off one of the greatest performances in simNFL history.  He hauled in an incredible 15 catches for 384 yards and 3 touchdowns against Tennessee, and that performance really ratcheted up the urgency in the mind of the Steelers' front office.  "We had been in talks with Minnesota for a long time, almost talking on a daily basis but when Paul went off against the Titans we knew we had to get something done as soon as possible."  The excitement in the Rooney Center is palpable as the team starts to consider the potential of pairing Gurule and Berendes together, especially when you factor in the supporting pass catchers in McKinney, Penalosa, and Ennis III.  Combine that group of pass catchers, with arguably one of the league's best running backs in Dario Tomayo and you quickly see that this is an offense that can really surprise people.  Those considerations do not even take account for the running ability of Robert Morris, who when the team needed him most, broke off a 70 yard run in Cleveland on Sunday.  "This addition should really give us a ton of flexibility in how we prepare for games, we'll be able to lean in different directions or remain balanced and should make it hard for defenses to plan for our attack.  

Although Gurule is the prize in this deal, the Steelers also acquired a run-stuffing linebacker in Narinder Beckmann.  It should not be overlooked the contributions that Beckmann can play for this team, especially when they match up against run-heavy opponents.  "Flexibility is one of our core tenants here in Pittsburgh, and we love that Beckmann provides us another piece to use when setting up our weekly gameplan.  He brings a lot to the table, especially in the run game and we know that when we play those run-centric teams he will be ready to help our already stellar defense."  

Pittsburgh did have to depart with a couple of exciting and high potential 2nd year players to make the deal work.  Wideout Adrian Daniels, who is considered by many to be a future star, was sent to Minnesota in the deal.  The Vikings also received 2nd year starting guard Alex Cozens in the deal.  Cozens has been a starter for Pittsburgh since he was drafted in the 2nd round during last year's draft, and is one of the league leaders in pancakes.  He showed great improvement in the offseason, and like Daniels, is someone who has the potential to be a very good simNFL player.  "Adrian has limitless potential, and we've been doing our best to get him on the field.  Minnesota should have the chance to get him the necessary reps to maximize his potential.  It would not surprise me that he is a top 2 receiver for them by the time the Vikings' core hits their prime."  The loss of Cozens, however; will have both short and long term effects on the team.  "We really loved everything that Alec has done for us.  He's started for us since he was drafted, and showed great progression in the off-season.  He was a key in both our short and long term plans, but sometimes you have to pivot and I feel that he will have a fantastic career in Minnesota.  He's really someone they can build around in Minnesota and should line up nicely by hitting his peak when the rest of their core does."  

Excitement levels are high here in Pittsburgh.  Gurule arrived on Monday afternoon and was able to begin practicing with the team on Tuesday.  All signs point to him making his debut in Sunday's game against the Chargers.  

Full Deal Details:

Pittsburgh Sends - OG Alec Cozens, WR Adrian Daniels, 2024 3rd
Minnesota Sends - WR Paul Gurule, ILB Narinder Beckmann. 2024 6th