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

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

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

NFL Network first reported the trade, which can't be finalized until the first day of the league's new year on Wednesday.

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

Instead, the cuts hadn't yet become 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 regarded as one of the NFL’s top nickel cornerbacks and had been recently discussed by the Bills as a candidate to shift to a starting safety spot.

The fourth-round pick out of Weber State in 2018 — Bills GM Brandon Beane's first draft class — 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 win over Baltimore in the 2020 divisional playoff round. His production dipped a bit this past season, when a groin injury limited him to 13 games.

Johnson, who has six career interceptions and 48 passes defensed, 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