Could Recently-Released Ex-Rams Wide Receiver Interest Vikings?
Update: Before officially releasing him, the Rams worked out a trade to send Skowronek to the Houston Texans. The entire story below can be disregarded.
The Rams are reportedly releasing wide receiver Ben Skowronek, a former seventh-round pick who blossomed into a contributor in LA. He was on the Rams' Super Bowl-winning team as a rookie, played a big role on offense in 2022, and has been an important special teams player throughout. By releasing him now, they're giving him an opportunity to catch on with a new team before OTAs begin.
Could the Vikings be interested in Skowronek? The connection to their coaching staff would make it an easy fit. He spent his first NFL season playing for Kevin O'Connell and Wes Phillips on Sean McVay's staff, so the transition to Minnesota's playbook presumably wouldn't be too difficult. Skowronek is a big-bodied receiver with run-blocking ability, which is a quality the Vikings value — and something they lost when K.J. Osborn signed with the Patriots in free agency this year.
The Vikings haven't done much to replace Osborn this offseason. Their main addition at WR was journeyman veteran Trent Sherfield, who figures to compete with Brandon Powell and Jalen Nailor for the WR3 job behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. If he were added to the mix, Skowronek could compete for a roster spot as a better version of current Vikings receiver N'Keal Harry.
Skowronek played college football at Northwestern and Notre Dame before getting drafted by the Rams in the seventh round. The 6'3", 224-pound receiver played a little over 200 offensive snaps in both 2021 and 2023, sandwiched around a 2022 campaign where he started 11 games and played nearly 700 snaps. He has 575 career receiving yards and two touchdowns (one receiving, one rushing). He also has over 600 snaps of special teams experience, which should help him make a 53-man roster somewhere this season.
There will likely be plenty of interest in Skowronek around the league once he's officially released. If he wants to reunite with former coaches and join a situation where he'd have a good shot at making the roster, the Vikings might be a logical fit.
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WILL RAGATZ
Will Ragatz is the publisher of Inside the Vikings, an SI.com channel in the Fan Nation network. He's in his fourth season as a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat writer, covering the team at practices, games, and all offseason long. Will posts daily Vikings articles year-round. Not only is he on top of all the latest news, he provides the analysis and context to put the news into perspective. He knows the team inside and out, which allows him to bring depth and quality to his coverage. From free agency to the draft to training camp and the NFL season, Will covers every relevant story surrounding the Vikings. Prior to taking this role in 2019, Will attended Northwestern University and studied at the renowned Medill School of Journalism. As a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball, among other sports, for SB Nation's Inside NU. Will was a co-editor-in-chief of the site during his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned at Sports Illustrated's newsroom in New York City, writing articles primarily on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com. A native of Minneapolis who still resides in the city, Will grew up a diehard Minnesota sports fan. He played baseball at Southwest High School and wrote for the student newspaper.