When the Texans traded for Rams receiver Ben Skowronek, nothing was promised regarding his long-term role.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans mentioned during OTAs that adding the former seventh-round pick was made to elevate the level of competition in practice.
Fast forward a week into training camp and Skowronek might no longer be competing for a spot on the 53-man roster, especially since he adds value on special teams.
“Skowronek does a great job when it comes to special teams, does a great job of communicating,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Saturday. “Offense — being able to play multiple spots. Tough guy. Likes to get in there and get his nose bloody blocking a little bit.”
Competitive rep: #Texans corner Desmond King against wide receiver Ben Skowronek @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/60x1MG9x6E
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) July 27, 2024
A 2021 late-round pick, Skowronek spent three seasons with Los Angeles as a reserve receiver and standout on speical teams. Last year, he served as the Rams’ special teams captain, helping the NFC West franchise clinch a spot in the postseason.
But in a pinch, Skowronek can be a reliable depth receiver. In 2022, he caught a career-high 36 passes for 376 yards.
So far, he’s been consistent in training camp during drills. On Saturday, he caught three passes and scored a touchdown in one-on-one drills. The 6-foot-3 receiver has also been showing out consistently on speical team drills.
“I like the physicality of Skowronek, and I like how smart he is, and I like how he really, really does a great job of communicating,” Ryans said.
A lot of talk about the receivers, but asked Texans HC DeMeco Ryans about Ben Skowronek, who has been VERY active in camp. #WeAreTexans pic.twitter.com/C2HWOJrNeT
— Landry Locker (@LandryLocker) July 27, 2024
The Texans currently have three receivers locked in on the active roster. Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins and Tank Dell aren’t losing their spot after breakout seasons in 2023. After that, Noah Brown and John Metchie III have been the biggest standouts throughout practice and should be the favorites to make the final 53-man squad.
From there on out, it’s a race to the finish between six other players. Every day, one play stands out. On Saturday, that was Skowronek.