Player: WR Ben Skowronek
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: WR Ben Skowronek continues to earn a helmet on a weekly basis, which is probably the simplest way to put it. First on the practice squad and then on IR, he is now a fixture, even if primarily for special teams. But when you’re recovering fumbles and stealing possessions, you’re going to dress.
Blame Ben Skowronek if you want to be mad about Roman Wilson having a lost rookie season. While Mike Williams’ late addition hasn’t helped, it has been Skowronek who has primarily taken his helmet on game days.
A veteran special teamer, Skowronek signed with the Steelers’ practice squad at the start of the season. He dressed for the first couple games as an elevation but then suffered an injury. The Steelers promoted him to the 53-man roster in order to put him on IR with the ability to give him a return designation. Unlike with other players in his situation, they did bring him back, and he has been an asset.
In just the past handful of weeks, Skowronek has recovered multiple fumbles off muffed punts. Partial credit goes to the left-footed Corliss Waitman, whose punts are harder to field. But Skowronek has been Johnny-on-the-spot, at the right place at the right time to make the plays.
He recovered his second fumble of the season on Sunday against the Browns, which allowed the Steelers to close out the game. They were punting back to the Browns with about three minutes to go, up by two scores. While the game was arguably in hand, Skowronek allowed them to finish it in Victory Formation.
While it isn’t much, the Steelers are also playing Ben Skowronek on offense. They primarily ask him to block, but he is an experienced player not unfamiliar with the dirty jobs. Over the past two games, he has taken 43 snaps on offense. He even has a couple of catches on the season, including a 23-yarder in Cincinnati. I’m not sure how many will care about this, but Skowronek is certainly contributing to the Steelers’ success.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
