Raiders Acquire All-Pro Cornerback in Surprise Pre-Free Agency Trade with Bills
The Las Vegas Raiders have executed an unexpected trade to secure veteran cornerback Taron Johnson from Buffalo before he could become a free agent, addressing their glaring need at the position. In this move that caught NFL observers off guard and involved sending draft picks back toward New York's unemployment line for his services; sources confirm it is now official despite earlier reports suggesting otherwise.
Key Points
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1The Las Vegas Raiders traded cornerback Taron Johnson to his former team in Buffalo before he could be released and enter free agency.
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2General manager John Spytek executed this pre-free agent acquisition by sending sixth- and seventh-round draft picks as compensation, a move described as surprising given the Bills' initial plans for cap savings.
Developments
Perspectives
The Las Vegas Raiders acquired cornerback Taron Johnson from the Buffalo Bills in an unexpected trade just before free agency began to address their glaring need at that position.
— [Mar 09, 2:48] ProfootballnetworkGeneral manager John Spytek agreed on a deal involving two draft picks—specifically sending one sixth-round pick and receiving another seventh-round pick—to secure Taron Johnson before the Bills released him as part of cap-saving moves.
— [Mar 09, 12:54] Sports.yahoo.com'Trade for CB #TJohnson. The Raiders are trading a future draft asset to bring in an All-Pro cornerback who was set up on waivers but not officially cut yet.', 'The deal involves swapping picks and represents the team's attempt at improving their defense after finishing with only one win last season.'
— [Mar 09, 2:15] Heavy'Trade for CB #TJohnson. The Raiders are trading a future draft asset to bring in an All-Pro cornerback who was set up on waivers but not officially cut yet.', 'The deal involves swapping picks and represents the team's attempt at improving their defense after finishing with only one win last season.'
— [Mar 09, 2:48] Profootballnetwork'Trade for CB #TJohnson. The Raiders are trading a future draft asset to bring in an All-Pro cornerback who was set up on waivers but not officially cut yet.', 'The deal involves swapping picks and represents the team's attempt at improving their defense after finishing with only one win last season.'
— [Mar 09, 2:15] HeavyThe Las Vegas Raiders traded for cornerback Taron Johnson from the Buffalo Bears before free agency to address their needs in covering slot receivers despite concerns about his recent performance decline due to injuries and a career-low PFF grade. While acknowledging these issues, reports highlight that he remains an effective tackler with 17 games played last season (2025) where he recorded just eight misses at the time of catching
The Las Vegas Raiders have traded for Buffalo Bills slot cornerback Taron Johnson as part of their offseason free agency preparations involving a sixth- to seventh-round draft pick swap, despite the player being officially released by his former team. This move aims to add veteran depth and potential starting capability at an undersized position where they currently lack talent before facing opponents like Denver in upcoming games scheduled for 2026.
The Las Vegas Raiders have reportedly traded a sixth-round pick for Taron Johnson's seventh-round draft selection in exchange from Buffalo Bills sources claim that they are trading their 6th rounder to the #Bills CB, but it is not yet official. The move follows reports of an impending release by New York as part of cap-saving plans and comes after years where he was a productive tackler for them despite injuries limiting his playing time in recent seasons
Cornerback Taron Johnson has been traded from Buffalo to Las Vegas, a deal that saves Bills $1.9 million while giving them draft picks as part of their defensive restructuring plan. The Raiders are acquiring the veteran player who played eight seasons with New England and recorded 572 tackles during his tenure in an effort to address needs at cornerback ahead of free agency opening Wednesday morning