ESPN news: Rams suprisingly part ways their most rated player …..read more..
WPTA – FORT WAYNE, IN Ben Skowronek, the winner of the Super Bowl, has moved to the NFL.
The wide receiver was traded by the Los Angeles Rams to the Houston Texans on Thursday. As part of the transaction, late-round 2026 draft selections were also exchanged.
After being selected by Los Angeles in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Skowronek spent three seasons playing with the Rams.
With 58 career receptions for 575 yards and one touchdown, the former star of Homestead, Northwestern, and Notre Dame has achieved success. He was the Rams’ team captain the previous season, and he also made a big contribution on special teams.
In Super Bowl LVI, Skowronek assisted the Rams in completing their 2021 campaign with a triumph.
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NFL Draft Picks: May 9, 24
A sort of signing day has been observed by rookie draftees on Thursday, as several organizations get ready for rookie minicamps this coming weekend. The most recent group of mid- and late-round players to agree to four-year rookie contracts is listed below:
Cardinals of Arizona
LB Xavier Thomas (Clemson, fifth round)
T Christian Jones (Texas, sixth round)
Tejhaun Palmer, wide receiver (sixth round, UAB)
CB Jaden Davis (Miami, seventh round)
The Buffalo Bills
T Travis Clayton, Denver Broncos (7th round)
CB Kris Abrams-Draine (Missouri, fifth round)
The Houston Texans
TE Cade Stover (Ohio State, fourth round)
LB In the sixth round, RB, Jamal Hill Jawhar Jordan (Louisville, sixth round)
DE Solomon Byrd, USC, sixth round
DT Marcus Harris (Auburn, seventh round)
OL LaDarius Henderson (Michigan, seventh round)
The Raiders of Las Vegas
CB Decamerion Richardson (Mississippi State, fourth round)
LB Tommy Eichenberg (Ohio State, sixth round)
RB Dylan Laube (New Hampshire, sixth round)
S Trey Taylor (Air Force, seventh round)
CB M.J. Devonshire, Pittsburgh’s sixth round
Saints of New Orleans
QB Spencer Rattler (South Carolina, sixth round)
WR Bub Means (Pittsburgh, fifth round) LB Jaylan Ford (Texas, sixth round)
DT Khristian Boyd (Northern Iowa, sixth round)
T Josiah Ezirim (Eastern Kentucky, seventh round)
The Giants of New York
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (Purdue, fifth round)
Tennessee Titans
CB Jarvis Brownlee (Louisville, fifth round)
WR Jha’Quan Jackson, Tulane, sixth round
S. James Williams (Miami, seventh round)
EDGE Jaylen Harrell (Michigan, seventh round)
Texans Trade with Rams for Super Bowl-winning wide out
The Houston Texans acquired All-Pro Stefon Diggs from the Buffalo Bills on April 3rd after starting the offseason with the dynamic young wide receiver tandem of Tank Dell and Nico Collins.
Added by general manager Nick Caserio is Los Angeles Rams’ Ben Skowronek, NFL Network source Tom Pelissero reported on Thursday, May 9.
Houston’s 2026 6th-round pick was traded for Skowronek and a 2026 7th-round pick by Los Angeles, via the Rams’ official X account.
After being selected by the Rams in Round 7 of the 2021 draft out of Notre Dame, Skowronek, who will be 27 in June, is entering the final year of the rookie contract that he signed.
Houston’s 2026 6th-round pick was traded for Skowronek and a 2026 7th-round pick by Los Angeles, via the Rams’ official X account.
After being selected by the Rams in Round 7 of the 2021 draft out of Notre Dame, Skowronek, who will be 27 in June, is entering the final year of the rookie contract that he signed.
Skowronek may have struggled to find playing time with the Rams, but he can make up for some of the special teams snaps Houston lost to other teams in free agency and offer depth at wide receiver.
Also, according to Pro Football Focus, Skowronek played both tight end and fullback on occasion while with the Rams. Dalton Schultz and Andrew Beck are both safely in place, so the Texans don’t really need either of those spots right now, but it never hurts to offer positional versatility to keep a defense fresh.
Fans and onlookers have noticed this, and many of them swiftly shared their thoughts on Skowronek’s fit with the Texans—first as a receiver—on social media.
In addition, it should not take long to become familiar with Bobby Slowik, the offensive coordinator for Houston, after spending three seasons in Sean McVay’s offense. Both Slowik and McVay have worked under Kyle Shanahan for multiple seasons, and their systems are extremely similar.
That should make Skowronek’s transition easy, if not flawless. The only potential challenge would be developing a rapport with quarterback C.J. Stroud.
What This Trade Signifies for Recipients Who Are Not Texans
In the Houston receiver room, Collins, Dell, and Diggs are the undisputed top three, and the signing of Skowronek makes no difference in that regard. But it could also mean the end of Robert Woods’s tenure with the Texans.
This offseason, Woods turned 32, and he is no longer the same threat. After catching 90 catches for 936 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2020, he hasn’t had a season with more than 556 receiving yards.
The writing is on the wall for Woods when you consider that in 2023 he will have a catch rate of 53.3%, the lowest of his career and the lowest since his rookie season in 2013.
Probably the last straw for Woods, though, is the expense. According to OverTheCap.com, Woods will have a $9.7 million cap hit for the 2024 season. For a receiver who probably ranks no higher than fourth on the depth chart and makes very little of an impact on special teams, that is a big cap charge.
By releasing Woods, the Texans may free up $4.95 million in salary space in 2024. As of right now, it appears more likely that the team will make the move when it happens than if it will at all.
