4 hours ago
5
Ryan McFaddenMar 8, 2026, 10:37 PM ET
- Ryan McFadden covers the Las Vegas Raiders for ESPN's NFL Nation. Prior to ESPN, McFadden was a Denver Broncos beat reporter for the Denver Post. McFadden also wrote about the Baltimore Ravens and University of Maryland athletics for The Baltimore Sun.
HENDERSON, Nev. -- The Las Vegas Raiders agreed to a trade for Buffalo Bills veteran cornerback Taron Johnson, a source told ESPN on Sunday.
The Raiders are sending a sixth-round pick to the Bills and will receive a seventh-round pick in return, the source said.
The Bills announced Friday that they were releasing Johnson and three other players. But the four weren't listed on the transaction wire, leaving open the possibility for a trade.
The Bills' cap savings were the same whether Buffalo traded Johnson or cut him outright ($1.9 million).
The Bills elected to move on from Johnson -- their starting nickel cornerback -- as they shift into a different defensive philosophy, from a 4-3 base to a 3-4, under new coordinator Jim Leonhard.
Johnson, 29, was selected in the fourth round in 2018, part of president of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane's first draft class in Buffalo. He cemented his role as a starter in 2020 after being benched during the season. Since 2020, no team has been in nickel more often than the Bills (83.4%), with part of that due to Johnson's performance.
He will most likely be remembered in Buffalo for his 101-yard pick-six against the Baltimore Ravens in the 2020 postseason.
He has eight interceptions, 48 passes defended, eight forced fumbles and 572 tackles in his career.
By acquiring Johnson, the Raiders helped address their need at cornerback -- a position group that lacked talent and depth last season. Cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly struggled, allowing a team-high 559 yards on 37 catches and 56 targets before sustaining a season-ending knee injury in Week 14.
Darien Porter, the team's third-round pick in 2025, appeared in 17 games (10 starts). He has upside, but is still developing. Decamerion Richardson played mostly on special teams.
Eric Stokes, an unrestricted free agent, was a bright spot in the secondary. He totaled 53 tackles and five pass breakups. He was targeted 55 times, allowing 338 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Las Vegas is exploring bringing back Stokes. At the scouting combine last month, Raiders general manager John Spytek said he had "good dialogue" with Stokes about a possible reunion and would love for the 27-year-old defensive back to return.
ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg contributed to this report.
