Mar 09, 2026
3 min read
The Raiders are sending a sixth-round pick to the Bills in exchange for veteran cornerback Taron Johnson and a seventh-round pick, a source told ESPN.
HENDERSON, Nev. -- The Las Vegas Raiders have agreed to a trade for Buffalo Bills veteran cornerback Taron Johnson, sources said Monday.
The Raiders will send a sixth-round pick to the Bills in exchange for a seventh-round pick, the source said.
The Bills announced Friday that they had released Johnson and three other players, but four were not listed in the transaction, leaving the possibility of a trade open.
Regardless of whether Buffalo traded Johnson or waived him entirely ($1.9 million), the savings to the Bills were the same.
The Bills decided to move on from Johnson - their starting quarterback - as they adopted a different defensive philosophy, moving from a 4-3 base to a 3-4 base under new coordinator Jim Leonhard.
Johnson, 29, was a 2018 fourth-round pick, part of Director of Football Operations/General Manager Brandon Beane's first draft class in Buffalo.He solidified his role as a starter in 2020 after being benched this season.Since 2020, no team has nickeled more times than the Bills (83.4%), due in part to Johnson's performance.
In Buffalo, he will be remembered for his 101 rushing yards against the Baltimore Ravens in the 2020 postseason.
He has eight interceptions, 48 passes defensed, eight forced fumbles and 572 career tackles.
Acquiring Johnson helped the Raiders address their need at cornerback, a group that lacked talent and depth last season. Cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly struggled, throwing for a team-high 559 yards on 37 catches and 56 targets, but suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 14.
Darian Porter is the team's third-round pick in 2025 and has played in 17 games (10 starts). He has upside but is still developing. Ten Cameron Richardson played primarily on special teams.
Eric Stokes, an unrestricted free agent, was a bright spot in high school.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 considering bringing Stokes back.At the scouting event last month, Raiders general manager John Spitek said he had a good conversation with Stokes and wanted the 27-year-old defensive back back.
Alaina Getzenberg contributed to this report.
