The Los Angeles Rams made an unexpected roster move Thursday morning by releasing Ben Skowronek, then made it more unexpected when news broke that the team is trading Skowronek to the Houston Texans. The Rams and Texans swapped a sixth round pick for a seventh round pick to ship Skowronek to the AFC.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the team will be releasing their special teams captain WR Ben Skowronek. It’s bit surprising move as it seemingly came out of nowhere, however the fourth-year receiver was in the final year of his rookie contract and LA’s special teams was one of the weakest in the NFL last season. The move will only save the Rams about $825k, but mostly the timing of the move allows Skowronek to potentially catch on with another team before training camp.
Skowronek had become somewhat of a fan favorite over the last few years due to his versatility to play both wide receiver and full back, as well as special teams. He was a key contributor in the Rams 2021 Super Bowl run, and played a career-high 71% of the special teams snaps in 2023.
However, with stars Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, along with Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell, all likely ahead of him on the depth chart, the team’s selection of Texas’ Jordan Whittington in the sixth round of this year’s draft made it an uphill climb for Skowronek to make this team this summer.
Skowronek’s best season in LA came in 2022 when he made 11 starts due to an abundance of injuries on the team. He caught 39 passes for 376 yards, while also rushing for one touchdown. Skowronek should have a decent amount of suitors looking to add his services to their special teams unit, especially given his low cost and ability to play multiple positions.
