Raiders acquire cornerback Taron Johnson in trade with Bills, AP source says

Raiders acquire cornerback Taron Johnson in trade with Bills, AP source says
Raiders acquire cornerback Taron Johnson in trade with Bills, AP source says

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders will acquire cornerback Taron Johnson from the Buffalo Bills after the teams agreed to a trade on Sunday, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.

The Raiders will also receive a seventh-round pick in exchange for a sixth-round pick to the Bills, the person told the AP on condition of anonymity because Johnson needs to pass a physical.

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NFL Network first reported the trade, which cannot be finalized until the first day of the new league year on Wednesday.

The Bills announced Friday that they were releasing Johnson along with safety Taylor Rapp, receiver Curtis Samuel and cornerback Dane Jackson to help them reach the salary cap.

Instead, the cuts had not yet been made official and Buffalo was able to find a trade partner for the 29-year-old Johnson, who played eight seasons with the Bills.

Johnson is still considered one of the best nickel cornerbacks in the NFL and had recently been discussed by the Bills as a candidate to move into a starting safety role.

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The fourth-round pick out of Weber State in 2018, Bills general manager Brandon Beane’s first draft pick, had two years left on a three-year contract extension he signed in 2024 after earning a second-team All-Pro selection. He was a starter in Buffalo’s three-cornerback formation since 2020.

Johnson had a 101-yard interception return to seal Buffalo’s 17-3 victory over Baltimore in the 2020 divisional round of the playoffs. His production dipped a bit last season, when a groin injury limited him to 13 games.

Johnson, who has six career interceptions and 48 passes defended, will help the Raiders bolster their secondary. 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.

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AP Sports Writer John Wawrow contributed to this report.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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