Bills Trade Longtime Cornerback Taron Johnson to Raiders

The move comes just days before the start of NFL free agency.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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The Buffalo Bills have traded veteran cornerback Taron Johnson to the Las Vegas Raiders, just one day before the start of the NFL's legal tampering period for free agency. The Bills were originally planning to release Johnson as part of a series of cap-saving moves, but the Raiders stepped in to acquire him in exchange for a late-round draft pick swap.

Why it matters

The trade of Taron Johnson is a surprising move by the Bills, who had previously announced they would be releasing the 29-year-old cornerback. The deal gives the Raiders an opportunity to add a veteran defensive back before he hits the open market, while the Bills free up a small amount of salary cap space ahead of free agency.

The details

The Bills will be trading Johnson to the Raiders in exchange for a sixth-round pick, with the teams also swapping seventh-round selections. The move does not free up a significant amount of additional cap space for the Bills, but it does give them a $9.5 million dead cap charge and $1.9 million in cap relief.

  • The Bills had announced they would be releasing Johnson just two days prior to the trade.
  • The trade was completed one day before the start of the NFL's legal tampering period for free agency.

The players

Taron Johnson

A 29-year-old cornerback who has spent his entire 5-year NFL career with the Buffalo Bills.

Las Vegas Raiders

An NFL team in the AFC West division that has acquired Johnson in a trade with the Buffalo Bills.

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What they’re saying

“The Raiders have two sixth round draft picks (one from the New York Jets) and the Bills have two seventh round draft picks (from the Dallas Cowboys and Jets). Johnson was set to be released Friday, but the move was not made official prior to the league transaction wire's release. The 29-year-old Johnson will now be heading to Las Vegas with the Raiders making a move for the veteran CB.”

— Christian Gonzalez, NFL.com Reporter (NFL.com)

What’s next

The Bills will now have to determine how to best utilize the additional draft capital acquired in the trade, while the Raiders will look to integrate Johnson into their secondary ahead of the 2023 NFL season.

The takeaway

This trade represents a last-minute change of plans for the Bills, who had initially planned to release Johnson as part of their offseason roster moves. The deal gives the Raiders an opportunity to add a veteran cornerback before free agency, while providing the Bills with a small amount of salary cap relief and additional draft picks.