Raiders trade for Bills All-Pro who was about to be released

Sep 17, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; A Las Vegas Raiders helmet on the field prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders are hoping to turn one team’s garbage into on-field gold.

The Raiders have reportedly acquired cornerback Taron Johnson from the Buffalo Bills, who were planning to release him before Las Vegas approached them with a deal. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Raiders are swapping one of their sixth-round picks for a Bills seventh-round pick to get the deal done.

Trade: The #Raiders are trading for #Bills veteran CB Taron Johnson, sources say. It's a 6/7 pick swap.

Johnson was announced as a release, but not officially on the wire yet. Las Vegas pounces. pic.twitter.com/B0oY28Uebp
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2026

The Bills picked Johnson in the fourth round of the 2018 draft and groomed him into the team’s starting nickel cornerback. But with the team shifting to a new defense next season under defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, Johnson became expendable. The team had been

Johnson was one of Buffalo’s most productive tacklers, averaging 89.5 tackles each season from 2020 to 2023. The Weber State alum earned a 2nd-team All-Pro nod in 2023. He spent less time on the field over the last two seasons due to injuries and a diminished role.

The Raiders’ trade for Johnson comes days after the Bills had already announced plans to release the 29-year-old defensive back. He was among four players Buffalo was expected to cut for cap-saving purposes.