Raiders To Acquire CB Taron Johnson
The Raiders are involved in their second trade before the start of free agency. They have acquired cornerback Taron Johnson from the Bills in a late-round pick swap, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The Bills will receive a sixth-rounder, and the Raiders will add a seventh-rounder, per Vincent Bonsignore of the California Post.
It had initially been reported that the Bills would release Johson, but the Raiders will prevent him from hitting the open market. Meanwhile, Buffalo will get some value out of his departure.
This will officially end Johnson’s eight-year tenure in Buffalo, which selected him in the fourth round of the 2018 draft. The Weber State product played for head coach Sean McDermott during his entire run in Western New York.
Johnson generally thrived under McDermott during his first six seasons, leading general manager Brandon Beane to hand the defender a three-year, $31MM extension in March 2024. The agreement temporarily made Johnson the highest-paid slot corner in the league, but injuries have contributed to a drop in performance since he earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2023.
Johnson has totaled nine absences since 2024, including four last year. Across 13 games and eight starts in 2025, Johnson picked up 57 tackles and four passes defensed. Pro Football Focus ranked his play 74th among 112 qualifying corners.
The Bills fired McDermott in January and promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady as their new head coach. Brady brought in an outside defensive coordinator, Jim Leonhard, to overhaul the unit. That left Johnson’s future up in the air. Shifting the longtime nickel corner to safety was under consideration, but the Bills elected to cut ties with Johnson instead.
The Raiders weakened their defense in the short term when they agreed to ship superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby to the Ravens on Thursday. Nevertheless, the team has ample cap space and draft capital to upgrade the rest of its roster. The Raiders and new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard will count on Johnson to help improve their slot corner situation. If Johnson doesn’t rebound in 2026, the Raiders would save $10.04MM in releasing him while taking on no dead money next offseason. That makes Johnson a worthwhile flier for a Las Vegas team with a slew of needs to address.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
Bills Release Taylor Rapp, Dane Jackson
As Buffalo continues to make room for D.J. Moore‘s contract, the team will release two more veterans. Taylor Rapp and Dane Jackson have been cut, per a team announcement.
The Bills released cornerback Taron Johnson and wideout Curtis Samuel earlier today, confirming those cuts now. Rapp’s release will save the Bills more than $3MM, while Jackson’s exit creates $1.2MM in additional funds.
As Connor Byrne’s Bills Offseason Outlook indicated, Rapp was an expected cut after missing much of last season due to injury. The Bills had retained Rapp — a former second-round Rams draftee — on a two-year, $10.63MM deal. This came on the same day as Buffalo’s initial Jordan Poyer release (in March 2024). Poyer, however, made his way back to Buffalo last year and ended up playing extensively in place of Rapp.
Rapp, 28, underwent knee surgery in October and did not return last season. The Bills used Rapp as a reserve in 2023 — behind the longtime Poyer-Micah Hyde duo — and as a regular starter alongside Damar Hamlin in 2024. A 48-game Rams starter, Rapp started 24 games in Buffalo. While the veteran should draw interest elsewhere, this is a crowded safety market. A host of veteran starters are available, potentially pointing to some needing to accept below-market deals.
Buffalo, which has 2024 second-round safety Cole Bishop under contract for two more seasons, brought Jackson back after the veteran DB spent a season in Carolina. A former Bills seventh-round pick, Jackson only saw action in three games last season.
Rounding up the Bills’ wave of Friday cuts, the earlier Johnson release is expected (per The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia) to be a standard cut as opposed to carrying a post-June 1 designation. The Bills announcing the release effectively confirms Buscaglia’s account, as players designated as post-June 1 cuts cannot officially be jettisoned until March 11.
Bills To Release CB Taron Johnson
Entering Friday more than $31MM over the cap, the Bills are releasing a longtime staple. They are cutting cornerback Taron Johnson, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports.
While boundary cornerbacks have come and gone in Buffalo during the Brandon Beane era, Johnson has patrolled the slot for nearly all of the franchise’s resurgent period. The 2018 fourth-round pick was tied to a three-year, $30.75MM contract. Two years remained on the deal. By moving on now, the Bills avoid a $1.18MM advanced salary guarantee — which would have vested next week.
[RELATED: Examining Bills’ Offseason Blueprint]
This release is not slated to produce much in the way of cap savings — unless Buffalo designates the cornerstone defender as a post-June 1 cut. A post-June 1 designation would save the Bills $8.67MM in 2026 cap space. Otherwise, the club would save less than $2MM this year and incur more than $8MM in dead money. Teams are allowed two post-June 1 designations annually.
The Bills used the same defensive system throughout Johnson’s tenure, but with Sean McDermott being fired and Jim Leonhard coming in as DC, a big change is on tap. Buffalo will be expected to deploy Christian Benford and 2025 first-round pick Maxwell Hairston as its boundary starters, but a hole now exists in the slot.
Johnson, 29, started 87 games with the Bills and had played at least 74% of the team’s defensive snaps since the 2020 season. He signed a three-year, $24MM extension in 2021 and topped Kenny Moore‘s then-slot-record deal in 2024. That pact has since been surpassed — though, not by too much — but Johnson will be an interesting free agent after being tied to an eight-figure AAV for the past two seasons.
A recent report indicated the Bills were considering moving Johnson to safety. Jordan Poyer became needed at the position, and Taylor Rapp is expected to be released. While the Bills will need help at that position — with Damar Hamlin joining Poyer as unsigned — they had been able to count on Johnson inside for nearly a decade. Pro Football Focus, however, had viewed Johnson as slipping recently. The advanced metrics site graded him outside the top 70 in each of the past two seasons.
Bills Could Move Taron Johnson To Safety
Taron Johnson, one of the Bills’ longest-tenured players, has worked as a nickel cornerback throughout his eight-year career. With Johnson set to play his age-30 season in 2026, a position switch could be in store. The Bills will consider moving Johnson to safety next season, general manager Brandon Beane told reporters (via Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News).
Transitioning Johnson to safety could be among many changes defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard implements in his first year on the job. Both in terms of style and personnel, Leonhard’s unit will look far different than the defense the Bills ran under former head coach Sean McDermott from 2017-25.
The Bills deployed a four-man base, leaned on zone coverage and rarely blitzed during the McDermott era. With McDermott and previous Bills D-coordinator Bobby Babich out, the team will primarily go to a 3-4 in 2026. At the same time, expectations are that Leonhard will rely more on man coverage and blitzes.
Johnson didn’t come off the board until Round 4 of the 2018 draft, but the Weber State product held his own under McDermott for most of the coach’s tenure. After Johnson thrived in his first six seasons, Beane authorized a three-year, $31MM extension in March 2024. The deal temporarily made Johnson the highest-paid slot corner in the league, though injuries have contributed to a decline in performance over the past couple of years.
Johnson has sat out nine games since 2024, including four last season. Over 13 games and eight starts in 2025, Johnson totaled 57 tackles and four passes defensed. He went without an interception, but picks were never a big part of the package even when Johnson was at his best (he has just six in his career). Pro Football Focus ranked Johnson’s play 74th among 112 qualifying corners last year.
Despite Johnson’s struggles, Leonhard is eager to work with him. As a former NFL safety, including in Buffalo, Leonhard has a deep knowledge of the position. He may have full confidence in Johnson emerging as the solution alongside the entrenched Cole Bishop next season.
Earlier this month, during Leonhard’s first press conference with the Bills, the former Broncos defensive pass-game coordinator spoke glowingly of Johnson (via Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic).
“Finding out the perfect role for a player like that is very high on our priority list,” he said. “What it exactly is gonna look like is yet to be determined a little bit, but I love the player, I love the personality, I had a great conversation with him. He’s excited for the change. Not knowing what it is, right? And he knows that we’re gonna communicate with him and find out what’s right because he’s been an extremely productive player in the NFL.”
Pairing Johnson with Bishop would take care of an important offseason issue for the Bills, who are facing serious questions at safety. Former star Jordan Poyer played far better than expected over 10 games and nine starts in 2025, but he’s going to turn 35 in April. Poyer is also a pending free agent who may retire. Taylor Rapp entered the year as a starter, but he endured a rough six-game stretch before undergoing season-ending knee surgery in October. Rapp is now a surefire release candidate. Cutting him by March 15 would clear $3.08MM in cap space at the cost of just $667K in dead money.
Conversely, there is little financial incentive in moving on from Johnson in the next few months. That will change beginning June 1, at which point releasing Johnson would open up $8.67MM in breathing room. The Bills would then spread $9.5MM in dead money over two seasons. That may be a possibility down the road, but the Bills have plenty of time before then to evaluate where Johnson fits while exploring safety options in free agency and the draft.
Bills Restructure Taron Johnson’s Contract
With approximately $1.67MM available (per Over the Cap), the Bills entered the week with the least amount of cap space in the NFL. General manager Brandon Beane now has a bit more wiggle room ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, though.
The Bills have restructured cornerback Taron Johnson‘s contract, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com. The team opened up $1.75MM in spending space by converting base salary into a signing bonus.
A fourth-round pick out of Weber State in 2018, Johnson has spent his entire career with the Bills and emerged as one of the league’s most respected nickel corners. The Bills made him the league’s highest-paid slot CB in signing Johnson to a three-year, $31MM extension in March 2024. Johnson’s payday is no longer at the top of the mountain for his position. Regardless, he’s under wraps through 2027.
Johnson missed a 28-21 win over the Chiefs on Sunday with a groin injury, but the Bills’ secondary delivered a strong performance in his absence. The Bills’ defensive backfield remains an area they could address before the deadline, though, especially with more cap room available.
With starter Taylor Rapp and backup Damar Hamlin likely done for the season as a result of knee and pectoral injuries, respectively, the Bills have reportedly been eyeing available safeties. Cole Bishop, who stood out against the Chiefs, and 34-year-old Jordan Poyer are now Buffalo’s top safeties. Cam Lewis and Jordan Hancock are the team’s primary depth choices.
While a safety acquisition is possible by Tuesday, the Bills likely have more pressing needs at wide receiver and along the defensive line as the deadline approaches. They’ve been frequently linked to both areas in the rumor mill, and the D-line has seen multiple important contributors go down in the past couple of weeks. Ed Oliver won’t return until the playoffs (if at all) after suffering a torn biceps in a win over Carolina in Week 8. Michael Hoecht then tore his Achilles on Sunday, ending his season.
The Bills were already in the market for D-line help before losing the versatile Hoecht, who shined over two games after missing the first six of the season for a PED suspension. Now armed with more cap space, Beane may attempt to bolster the Bills’ defensive front with at least one outside acquisition.
Bills CB Taron Johnson Underwent Offseason Shoulder Surgery; TE Dalton Kincaid Played Through Injuries To Both Knees In 2024
Bills nickel corner Taron Johnson recently revealed that he underwent shoulder surgery this offseason. Per Katherine Fitzgerald of the Buffalo News, Johnson suffered a torn labrum in Buffalo’s divisional-round win against the Ravens in January, and while he appeared in 94% of the club’s defensive snaps in an AFC Championship Game loss to the Chiefs, he required surgery to repair the damage.
Fortunately, Johnson indicated he will be fully healthy when training camp gets underway next month.
“Feels good, pretty much feels close to normal,” Johnson said. “So, that’s all I can really ask for, being healthy before training camp, so I can fully train and get ready for the season.”
Following a Second Team All-Pro nod in 2023, which begat a three-year, $31MM extension – a then-record for nickelbacks – Johnson took a step back in some respects last year. Thanks to a Week 1 arm injury, Johnson played in only 12 regular season contests in 2024 after enjoying perfect attendance the year prior, and he finished as Pro Football Focus’ 84th-best corner out of 116 qualified players (after grading out as the 18th-best CB out of 127 qualifiers in ‘23).
On the other hand, Pro Football Reference credited him with a modest 80.3 quarterback rating on passes thrown in his direction last season – albeit on a career-worst 70.4% completion percentage – and he tallied two picks for the first time in his career. Irrespective of his surface-level statistics or advanced metrics, Buffalo will once again be relying on the soon-to-be 29-year-old to serve as a key cog in its secondary. He is the second-longest-tenured member of the Bills’ defense, behind only linebacker Matt Milano.
Tight end Dalton Kincaid has also had to focus on his health this offseason. Kincaid, a 2023 first-round pick, enjoyed a strong rookie campaign, posting 73 catches for 673 yards and two scores. He regressed in Year 2, appearing in three fewer games and catching 44 balls for 448 yards and two TDs.
Kincaid, 25, told Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News that he played through injuries to both of his knees last season. Unlike Johnson, he did not need to go under the knife, though he conceded the recovery process took longer than expected.
The Utah product said he dealt with a PCL injury to his left knee and a Morel-Lavallee lesion, which manifested in bursitis, in his right knee. Both head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane told Kincaid he would need to improve his strength this offseason, and Kincaid said he has made a concerted effort to do just that (including increased work with strength and conditioning coach Will Greenberg).
The Bills continue to roster fellow TE Dawson Knox and selected Jackson Hawes in the fifth round of this year’s draft, but Kincaid is expected to lead the way as Josh Allen’s top receiving threat at the tight end position. He will be extension-eligible for the first time after the 2025 season, so he has the opportunity to set himself up nicely for a lucrative second contract.
Bills Extend CB Taron Johnson
Buffalo has seen a few notable departures this offseason, but Taron Johnson will remain in place for years to come. The veteran corner has agreed to a three-year Bills extension, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The move is now official, per a team announcement.
Schefter adds this agreement is worth $31MM, making Johnson the league’s highest-paid slot corner. That spot has seen a number of key developments recently, with the Colts and Packers respectively re-upping Kenny Moore and Keisean Nixon last week. Johnson will join that pair in securing a raise ahead of the 2024 campaign.
One year remained on the latter’s contract, and he was owed $7.7MM in 2024; $500K of that amount was due today. Johnson’s cap hit was slated to sit at $12.41MM this season, a figure which could be reduced with this through-2027 deal. In any case, the Bills’ secondary will retain a crucial component for the short- and long-term future.
Johnson took on an increasingly large role over his first three seasons in Buffalo. Having established himself as a starter by 2021, the 27-year-old inked a three-year, $24MM extension. He has been durable and productive over the life of that pact, setting himself up for another agreement. Johnson earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2023, and he will be counted on to maintain that level of play moving forward. In his career, the former fourth-rounder has amassed four interceptions, seven forced fumbles, 450 tackles and seven sacks.
The $10.3MM AAV of this deal will leave Johnson well short of the overall lead in terms of cornerback compensation. Still, it slightly outpaces Moore’s newest Colts agreement in terms of value and ensures he will remain a staple of Buffalo’s secondary. That unit has seen Tre’Davious White and safety Jordan Poyer released in cost-cutting moves. Corner Dane Jackson has also departed in free agency, so replacing that trio will be a priority for the remainder of free agency and the draft for Buffalo.
The Bills have lost a number of high-profile players recently due in large part to the team’s cap situation entering the new league year. However, others have been retained or signed to new deals to avoid a trip to free agency in 2025. That includes left tackle Dion Dawkins securing a big-money extension last week. Johnson will now join Dawkins as an integral part of Buffalo’s transitioning roster for years to come.
Restructured Contracts: Garoppolo, Bills, Wilson, Reed
Jimmy Garoppolo continues to help the Raiders carve out cap space. After reworking his deal earlier this offseason, the quarterback has once again restructured his deal, per ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
The move will create $17MM in cap space for the organization, making them cap compliant. As Vince Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal notes, the team previously converted an $11.25MM signing bonus into base salary, increasing Garoppolo‘s salary from $11.25MM to $22.5MM in the process. Bonsignore assumes the front office did some work today to reduce that newfound 2023 number.
Shortly after Garoppolo signed a three-year, $72.75MM deal, he underwent surgery to repair the fractured foot he sustained in early December. The Raiders’ first restructuring helped protect the organization in case the QB’s foot injury lingers into the regular season.
More financial notes from around the NFL…
- The Bills opened a chunk of cap space today. The team opened $4.5MM in cap space by restructuring the contracts of guard Ryan Bates and cornerback Taron Johnson, per Yates. Bates turned into a full-time starter for the Bills in 2022, while Johnson has started 41 games for Buffalo over the past three seasons.
- Cedrick Wilson Jr. reworked his contract with the Dolphins prior to cutdown day, per Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS. The veteran wideout lowered his base salary to $2MM while receiving a $3MM signing bonus, equaling his $5MM in guarantees from last season. With incentives, Wilson can earn up to $7.25MM on his reworked contract.
- The Vikings recently reworked the contract of guard Chris Reed, according to ESPN’s Ben Goessling. The offensive lineman’s base salary is now fully guaranteed at $1.165MM, an increase from the $1.4MM ($600K guaranteed) pact he was previously attached to. This was the second time this offseason that Reed agreed to a reworked contract.
- Browns left tackle Jedrick Wills restructured his deal recently, converting $2.28MM of his base salary into a signing bonus, per Yates. The new deal also has three new void years, opening around $1.8MM in cap space.
- The Cowboys restructured Neville Gallimore‘s contract, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. The defensive tackle’s salary was reduced from $2.7MM to $1.5MM, and he can now earn $750K via incentives.
Bills Extend CB Taron Johnson
The Bills have agreed to a three-year extension with Taron Johnson, per a club announcement. The deal could be worth as much as $24MM, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter) with a healthy $14MM guaranteed. 
Johnson was previously on track for free agency in the spring, but the Bills didn’t want to let him get away. The 2018 fourth-rounder has become a key part of Buffalo’s D in recent years. In 2020, he notched 94 stops, seven passes defensed, five tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, and an interception taken back for a touchdown. Then, in the playoffs, he notched another pick six — a 101-yarder — against the Ravens.
“Love that dude,” teammate Micah Hyde said recently (via the team website). “Man, he just does everything for our defense. You’ve got to have a nickel that’s a dog, and that’s him. He’s been showing it the last couple years. Just a great kid, a great guy, who has come a long ways. His growth mentally, on the football field, and even off, just becoming a man. It’s so cool to see a young guy like that coming along. He’s been making a lot of plays in this league for a long time.”
Johnson, 25, has already recorded five passes defensed, one FF, and one sack in three games this year. Now furnished with a new deal, he’ll turn his attention to the Chiefs on Sunday.