Tag: ben skowronek

Pittsburgh Steelers make several practice squad moves, including Ben Skowronek to IR

The Steelers shuffled the roster again this week with multiple moves.

Ben Skowronek, the former 2021 seventh-round draft pick out of Notre Dame, was elevated from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice squad according to the Tuesday NFL Transaction Report.  However, it has now been reported that he has been placed on Injured/Reserve and the Steelers have signed tight end Matt Sokol and wide receiver Jaray Jenkins.

Ben Skowronek was with the Los Angeles Rams from 2021 to 2023. After being traded to and released by the Houston Texans, Skowornek was signed to the Pittsburgh practice squad on August 29, 2024.  Matt Sokol started only one game in his career since 2019.  Jenkins, going undrafted in 2023, has signed with the Steelers practice squad previously, before being released on August 27th of this year.

The Steelers also placed linebacker Tyler Matakevich on IR this week and signed former Pittsburgh cornerback James Pierre to the practice squad.

Ben Skowronek, Allen Robinson among former Rams to get cut

Ben Skowronek and Allen Robinson are two former Rams who have already gotten cut ahead of Tuesday’s deadline

More than 1,000 players will either be cut, traded or placed on injury lists Tuesday as teams across the NFL trim their rosters down from the 90-man offseason limit to just 53 players for the start of the regular season. It’s a tough day for players around the league, particularly for those who won’t get a chance to stick around on a practice squad.

There are several former Rams players who have already been waived as part of final roster cuts, including wide receiver Ben Skowronek. He’s being cut by the Texans just three months after the Rams traded him to Houston in a swap of late-round picks.

Additionally, Tremayne Anchrum Jr. was released by the Saints, Brett Rypien was cut by the Bears and John Wolford was released by the Buccaneers on Monday. Allen Robinson was cut by the Giants on Tuesday, too.

It’s unlikely the Rams will have any interest in those players after parting ways with them in the last few years, but you never know with Sean McVay and Les Snead.

Anchrum could be one possibility with all the injuries the Rams have suffered along the offensive line, though even he is probably not returning, given the depth Los Angeles has developed up front this offseason.

Texans excited to see newly acquired WR Ben Skowronek in action

The Texans are ready to see Los Angeles Rams receiver Ben Skowronek make a name for himself during OTAs next week off NRG Drive.

Why did the Houston Texans trade for Los Angeles Rams receiver Ben Skowronek?

The better question is, why weren’t more teams calling to get a deal done?  

Houston realized that adding a special teams standout like Skowronek would be challenging after it was initially reported that Los Angeles would release the third-year receiver entering a contract year. With an 11-8 record and fresh off an AFC South title, the Texans would be miles down the pecking order in the waiver wire. 

Much like with the trade for Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon, Houston shipped off a late-round pick — a 2026 sixth-round draft pick — to acquire Skowronek and a 2026 seventh-round selection. And if anyone has a clear vision for the pass-catcher’s role down at NRG Stadium, it’s Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, who watched him carve out reps while out west with the San Francisco 49ers. 

“With the trade there, we’re excited to add more depth to our wide receiver position and more competition,” Ryans said Friday. “Ben is a tough player. I’ve played against him a [of] couple times, and he’s a true competitor. He plays the game the right way, so I’m excited to add his physicality and his playmaking ability to our team.”

Drafted in the seventh round out of Notre Dame, Skowronek should provide value on kickoffs, punts and as a blocker in the return game. Last season, he served as the Rams’ special teams captain, as voted on by teammates and played a career-high 71% of the snaps in the kicking game.

Most of Skowronek’s reps will likely come on special teams should he make the final 53-man roster, but he does offer value as a fill-in starter. In 2022, the 6-foot-3 target caught a career-best 39 passes for 376 yards. 

Since entering the league, Skowronek’s totaled  575 receiving yards and one touchdown. While Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Stefon Diggs and John Metchie III are all expected significant reps, Skowronek should compete for the No. 5 receiver spot with Robert Woods, Noah Brown, Xavier Hutchinson and Steven Sims, among others. 

The Texans return to practice for the start of mandatory workouts on May 20. 

DeMeco Ryans excited to add Ben Skowronek’s ‘physicality, playmaking ability’ to Texans

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans talked about the addition of Ben Skowronek after Houston acquired him from the Rams

Ben Skowronek seemingly became expendable when the Los Angeles Rams drafted Jordan Whittington in the sixth round, adding a good blocker and special teams player to the roster. Less than two weeks after the draft, the Rams parted with Skowronek by sending him to the Texans in a trade on Thursday.

The Rams got minimal return for Skowronek, sending a 2026 seventh-round pick along with the wide receiver for a 2026 sixth-rounder, but the Texans are happy to have him in their building.

Head coach DeMeco Ryans talked about the addition of Skowronek on Friday, saying he’s excited to have his physicality and playmaking ability on the team. Ryans, who was previously the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, has experience facing Skowronek so he knows a bit about him.

“Excited to add more depth to our wide receiver position, more competition,” Ryans said. “Ben is a tough, tough player. Played against him a couple times and he’s a true competitor. Plays the game the right way so excited to add his physicality, playmaking ability to our team.”

Skowronek is known more for his blocking and special teams play than he is his receiving ability, and the Texans likely envision him in a similar role. He can be a lead blocker in the running game, someone who blocks for other receivers on screens and also help on special teams.

The timing of the trade for the Rams is interesting but it seems they wanted to make a change at receiver and on special teams where Skowronek was a captain in 2023.

How the Ben Skowronek trade impacts Rams’ depth chart at WR

Who in the Rams’ wide receiver room benefits from the departure of Ben Skowronek?

The Los Angeles Rams unexpectedly parted ways with Ben Skowronek on Thursday, agreeing to trade him to the Houston Texans after it was originally reported that they planned to cut him. Skowronek was an integral part of the special teams unit last season and was a captain of that group, but the Rams didn’t see him contributing in 2024 so they chose to trade him now instead of waiting until later this summer.

While he wasn’t more than the fourth or fifth receiver on the depth chart, Skowronek’s departure does open the door for some of the other wideouts on the team. The biggest beneficiary of this move is rookie Jordan Whittington, who now has a good chance to be the fourth or fifth receiver behind Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and Demarcus Robinson.

Whittington is a willing blocker and has the ability to play any of the wide receiver spots on offense, which will help him get on the field more quickly. He can be a lead blocker on running plays where he comes across the formation and takes on the nickel defender, or he can line up outside and catch fades along the sideline.

Xavier Smith and Tyler Johnson could also benefit from Skowronek being out of the picture. The Rams re-signed Johnson this offseason and retained Smith after he was brought in as an undrafted rookie in 2023. Smith has some special teams potential as a return man, as well, so that will only help his chances of making the team.

If we look even further down the depth chart, a trio of undrafted free agents could push for a roster spot: Drake Stoops, J.J. Laap and Sam Wiglusz. It was hard to see any of them making the team with Skowronek occupying a spot on offense and special teams, but their chances just increased now that there’s one fewer player to compete with.

As of now, here’s how the depth chart could look.

WR1 Cooper Kupp Tutu Atwell Xavier Smith Sam Wiglusz
WR2 Puka Nacua Jordan Whittington Drake Stoops
WR3 Demarcus Robinson Tyler Johnson J.J. Laap

There’s a long way to go until final roster cuts, but that’s a tentative projection of how things might stand at wide receiver as of now.

How does new WR Ben Skowronek fit into Texans’ plans

New Houston Texans wide receiver Ben Skowronek could be an interesting jack-of-all-trades type of guy for the offense in 2024.

Ben Skowronek won’t be hitting waivers after all.

The Houston Texans have acquired the Los Angeles Rams’ special teams captain in exchange for a pick swap, according to reports. Instead of picking in their normal positions during the 2026 draft, the Rams and Texans will swap positions in the sixth and seventh rounds.

Skowronek, 26, is entering his fourth season since being a seventh-round pick out of Notre Dame. He’s mostly been a productive backup during his time out west but proved to have upside as a part-time starter during the 2022 season in place of Cooper Kupp.

Skowronek had his role reduced last season, playing only 19% of offensive snaps after playing 82% in 2022. Of course, with the emergence of rookie sensation Puka Nacua, reps were scarce in the passing attack.

It’ll be more of the same in Houston entering training camp. General manager Nick Caserio has proven his willingness to be aggressive in landing talent he covets, but it doesn’t mean the player will be a Day 1 starter.

Cracking the starting lineup will be challenging, let alone the active 53-man roster. Houston traded a 2025 second-round pick earlier this offseason to acquire four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs from Buffalo. The Texans also bring back breakout stars Tank Dell and Nico Collins, along with John Metchie III.

Where Skowronek likely earns his place in on special teams. Since joining the Rams in 2021, he’s played at least 58% percent of special teams snaps, including 71% of special teams snaps in 2023.

Skowronek made 13 tackles last season and was one of the top gunners on kickoffs and punts.

Nothing should be promised regarding Skowronek’s role, but given the expertise on special teams, he could have an upper hand over most. He first will have to beat out other receivers like Noah Brown, Robert Woods, Xavier Hutchinson, Steven Sims and others for a spot on the active roster.

Texans trade for Rams WR Ben Skowronek

The Houston Texans are adding another receiver into the fold with Los Angeles Rams pass-catcher Ben Skowronek

The Houston Texans are adding another playmaker.

Houston is acquiring Los Angeles Rams receiver Ben Skowronek in exchange for pick swaps in the sixth and seventh rounds in 2026, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rappaport.

Skowronek, 26, was initially expected to be released by L.A. Thursday morning, but Texans general manager Nick Caserio stepped in at the last minute to pull off the move. Should Skowronek have hit waivers, Houston would have been down the pecking order, thus potentially taking it out of the running.

This should come as a surprise to fans after Caserio pulled off a similar move earlier this offseason. Instead of waiting for Joe Mixon to hit waivers, the Texans traded a seventh-round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for the Pro Bowl running back.

Houston later extended Mixon to a three-year, $27 million deal.

Skowronek’s best season in LA came in 2022, when he caught 39 passes for 376 yards in 11 games. He also showed off his versatility by rushing for a touchdown.

Last season as the Rams’ No. 5 receiver, Skowronek caught eight passes for 68 yards and a touchdown.

Skowronek should carve out a significant role on special teams unit after earning special teams captain last season for Los Angeles. As a receiver, he’ll fight for the No. 5 role behind Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, Tank Dell and John Metchie III.

Rams are trading Ben Skowronek to Texans instead of cutting him

Rather than cutting Ben Skowronek, the Rams have found a trade partner and will send him to the Texans

It was reported earlier on Thursday that the Los Angeles Rams cut Ben Skowronek, which came as a big surprise. However, the move wasn’t made official and instead of releasing Skowronek, they’re actually going to trade him.

According to reports, the Rams are trading Skowronek to the Houston Texans. The Rams aren’t getting much in return from the Texans, as the two teams will swap picks in the sixth and seventh rounds in 2026.

Skowronek is entering his fourth season in the NFL and was a special teams captain last year for the Rams, while also starting 11 games at wide receiver in 2022.

The Rams drafted Jordan Whittington in the sixth round this year so he’ll be a candidate to replace Skowronek on special teams and as the fourth/fifth receiver.

 

Salary cap impact of Rams releasing Ben Skowronek

How much cap space will the Rams save by releasing WR Ben Skowronek?

The Los Angeles Rams are unexpectedly releasing fourth-year receiver Ben Skowronek, a surprising move at this point in the offseason.

This probably isn’t a financially driven decision, given Skowronek’s affordable contract. With more than $11 million in cap space, the Rams have plenty of room to not only sign their draft class, but also a veteran if they’d like.

This decision will save Los Angeles some money, however. According to Over The Cap, Skowronek was set to have a $1.076 million cap hit in 2024. By releasing him, the Rams will save $1.055 million, so his remaining dead cap charge will only be $21,131.

It is worth noting that with Skowronek’s contract coming off the books, another player will replace him in the top-51 cutoff, so the savings won’t be as large as the $1.055 million.

While not a big savings, it could give the Rams a little bit of added flexibility when it comes to the salary cap. That doesn’t make the timing of this release any less puzzling, though. Seeing Skowronek get cut months before training camp even begins is shocking.

Perhaps the Rams knew they planned to cut him later this summer and wanted to give him a head start on landing with another team before camps open.

Rams surprisingly release WR Ben Skowronek

The Rams made an unexpected move on Thursday, releasing wide receiver Ben Skowronek from the offseason roster.

Update: The Rams are instead trading Ben Skowronek to the Texans for a late-round pick swap in 2026.

The Los Angeles Rams don’t have to trim their roster down to 53 players until September but they made a surprising release on Thursday. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the team released fourth-year receiver Ben Skowronek.

Skowronek played 45 games for Los Angeles in the last three seasons after being a seventh-round pick in 2021. His best season came in 2022 when he made 11 starts and caught 39 passes for 376 yards, while also rushing for one touchdown.

In addition to contributing on offense, Skowornek was a special teams captain last year. He played a career-high 71% of the special teams snaps in 2023.

The Rams added Texas wideout Jordan Whittington in the sixth round of the draft this year, which put Skowronek’s job security in danger. They also re-signed Demarcus Robinson and Tyler Johnson this offseason, so they have plenty of depth at wide receiver.