Ben Skowronek, a wide receiver, was unexpectedly traded by the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday
afternoon in exchange for two 2026 late-round draft selections. Although the move freed up just over $1
million in cap space and virtually ensured that rookie Jordan Whittington would make the team, one has
to wonder whether general manager Les Snead had more plans in mind.
Skowronek wasn’t the most spectacular receiver last season, but he was a special teams captain and had
offensive experience. Many will remember his grab from Baker Mayfield against the Las Vegas Raiders
on what turned out to be the game-winning drive. Naturally, the Skowronek fullback packages will be
missed as well. Skowronek was just an athlete that fulfilled all requirements and exemplified what it
meant to be a Ram.
Now, the issue is: “Why would the Rams take this action?” From a player’s standpoint, it now makes
sense to release or trade Skowronek since he will have all of camp to compete with his new team instead
of being cut in the middle of the summer or during roster cuts. It was, in a way, the Rams treating the
athlete fairly. From a club standpoint, though, this seems like more than just trying to get ahead of a
player who is in the final year of his contract, like they did with Van Jefferson, and not seeing a future
with Skowronek on the roster. Last season, Skowronek was once more named a captain. In spite of A
team usually doesn’t make that move because of the Rams’ subpar special teams unit.
The loss of Skowronek to a trade also depletes the Rams’ wide receiver depth, as our very own JB Scott
noted. Although there are good reasons to be hopeful about Cooper Kupp’s health, it is also important to
pay attention to it. Over the past two seasons, Kupp has missed time due to injuries. He also missed time
due to an ACL tear during his rookie season. Additionally, Puka Nacua’s past injury history is not
mentioned. Despite playing every game the previous season, the rookie experienced health issues while
attending Washington and BYU and was occasionally limited in practice.
The Rams may not have as much depth at wide receiver as they formerly had in the event that Kupp or
Nacua were to miss time. Although Demarcus Robinson had some potential the previous season, he is
not a player you want as your primary wide receiver or WR2. Instead, you should use him as your third
or fourth option. Last year, TuTu Atwell filled in admirably for Kupp while he was down, but after
Robinson entered the picture, he appeared to lose the starting job in the offense.
The Rams’ decision to pass on drafting a wide receiver on the second round is still a touch unexpected
especially in light of the position’s projected depth chart. In 2025, Kupp and Nacua will still be the only
two wide receivers with contracts.
Given the Skowronek trade’s timing, one would ask if the Rams have another move planned or if they
genuinely felt that giving other players more chances would be preferable than keeping him on the team.
Regarding the former, it’s difficult to overlook the Rams’ offseason interest in experienced wide
receivers.
Wide receiver Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was reportedly of interest to the Rams at the
start of free agency. Evans ultimately agreed to a new contract with the Bucs. A tad bit of gossip also
stated that after the draft, the Rams had at least made contact with wide receiver Coutland Sutton of the
Denver Broncos. It is evident that Sean McVay is not happy with the offense’s present weapons when you
consider his interest in Rome Odunze during the Combine and the rumors that the Rams attempted to
move up for Brock Bowers. It appears that this club intends to bolster its arsenal with one more weapon.
There may be a little fire where there is smoke. In the
At the very least, it appears that there might be some interest in having another member join the team.
The Rams’ wide receiving corps would be strengthened and more in line with what it has historically
looked like with three very good players if it included Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and another WR2
caliber guy. The Rams are essentially an 11-man team, which makes having three excellent wide outs
even more crucial.
The Rams may have dealt Skowronek because they saw no future for him on the team, and there may not
be anything here. It might also be the setup move for a more significant move.
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