Los Angeles traded wide receiver Ben Skowronek and its 2026…
Los Angeles traded wide receiver Ben Skowronek and its 2026 seventh-round pick to Houston for the Texans' 2026 sixth-round pick on May 9, 2024. Houston waived Skowronek before the 2024 regular season, so the Rams moved a player they were reportedly prepared to release and improved their future draft position by one round without surrendering realized on-field production to the Texans.
Houston Texans Received
- player Ben Skowronek
- pick 2026 seventh round pick (#245)
Los Angeles Rams Received
- pick 2026 sixth round pick (#207, later traded in Ernest Jones package)
Trade Analysis
The May 2024 exchange was a late-round pick swap built around a player Los Angeles was reportedly preparing to release. NFL.com's transaction roundup reported that the Rams sent Ben Skowronek plus a 2026 seventh-round pick to Houston for the Texans' 2026 sixth-round pick. The league transaction log dates the trade to May 9, while Houston's later team transaction page reflects the roster processing on May 14. Those records support the same underlying exchange and remove the need for the vague or mismatched wording in the legacy row.
For Los Angeles, the immediate value was straightforward: the Rams converted a potential roster cut into improved future draft capital. Instead of simply releasing Skowronek, they moved from a 2026 seventh-round asset to Houston's 2026 sixth-round selection. Pro Football Reference's trade ledger later identifies the exact selections as No. 207 for the sixth-rounder and No. 245 for the seventh-rounder. Los Angeles subsequently included No. 207 in the August 2024 Ernest Jones trade with Tennessee, so the acquired pick remained a usable trade asset rather than expiring without value.
Houston's player return did not reach the regular season. The Texans carried Skowronek through the offseason and preseason, then officially waived him on August 27 during final roster reductions. NFL transaction records and Houston's own release announcement confirm the move. Skowronek later joined Pittsburgh and produced regular-season snaps there, but those Steelers games cannot be credited as Texans trade value. Houston's realized return from the player portion was therefore zero regular-season appearances.
The seventh-round pick still prevents the Houston side from being treated as a total loss. The Texans did not simply surrender a sixth-rounder for a player who was cut; they also received a later 2026 selection. Even so, the trade required Houston to move down roughly a round for a player who never made its regular-season roster. The Rams gained the stronger asset while avoiding a release for no return.
Los Angeles Rams Win. A B grade reflects the efficient conversion of a likely cut into better draft capital and the later usefulness of the sixth-round pick in another transaction. Houston receives a C- because the club retained a seventh-round asset but got no regular-season contribution from Skowronek. The trade was small in scale, yet its realized value favors Los Angeles.