Raiders Acquire Cornerback Taron Johnson in Trade with Bills
HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders will acquire cornerback Taron Johnson from the Buffalo Bills after the teams agreed to a trade Sunday, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.
The Raiders will also receive a seventh-round draft pick in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick for the Bills, the person said on condition of anonymity given that Johnson needs to pass a physical. NFL Network first reported the trade, which cannot be finalized until the first day of the new league year on Wednesday.
Bills Initially Planned to Release Johnson
The Bills announced Friday that they were releasing Johnson along with safety Taylor Rapp, wide receiver Curtis Samuel and cornerback Dane Jackson to help them stay under the salary cap. However, the cuts had not yet been made official, allowing Buffalo to find a trade partner for the 29-year-old Johnson, who played eight seasons with the Bills.
Johnson’s Career with the Bills
Johnson is considered one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL and had recently been mentioned by the Bills as a candidate to move into a starting safety role. The Athletic reported that Johnson was a fourth-round pick out of Weber State in 2018 – Bills general manager Brandon Beane’s first draft class – and had two years remaining on a three-year contract extension he signed in 2024 after being named second-team All-Pro. He was a starter in Buffalo’s three-cornerback formation since 2020.
Johnson had a memorable 101-yard interception return to cap Buffalo’s 17-3 victory over Baltimore in the divisional round of the 2020 playoffs. His production dipped a bit last season, when a groin injury limited him to 13 games.
Impact on the Raiders’ Secondary
Johnson, who has six career interceptions and 48 passes defensed, will help the Raiders bolster their defensive secondary. NFL.com noted that Kyu Blu Kelly struggled last season and Darien Porter started 10 games as a rookie. Eric Stokes, who was solid for Las Vegas last season, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.