The Las Vegas Raiders have a lot of positional issues to deal with, and some of them are about eliminating potential weaknesses. That was likely part of the logic in a deal they made over the weekend, acquiring veteran cornerback Taron Johnson from the Buffalo Bills, with a pair of late-round draft picks also involved in the swap, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN.
The Raiders are sending a sixth-round pick to Buffalo in exchange for a seventh-rounder as part of the deal, as the trade was made over the weekend after Buffalo announced on Friday that they would be releasing Johnson and three other players, according to McFadden.
For Las Vegas, this trade represents an effort to shore up a position where the team struggled last year. Eric Stokes was solid at one corner, but Kyu Blu Kelly had issues, giving up a team-high 559 yards on 37 catches and 57 targets before sustaining a season-ending knee injury in Week 14.
Darien Porter, the Raiders third-round pick in 2025, appeared in 17 games at corner, but he’s still in development, while cornerback Decameron Richardson appeared mostly on special teams.
Stokes is now a free agent, and Las Vegas will likely have interest in bringing him back given that he was the bright spot in the secondary, according to McFadden, after GM John Spytek had “good dialogue” with Stokes about a possible return after the scouting combine last month.
The deal may also reflect that rising price of the cornerback market, with Kansas City Chiefs slot corner Trent McDuffie landing what was termed a record-setting deal with the Los Angels Rams after being traded to LA.
Johnson is 29, and he’s been a starter in Buffalo since 2020 after being drafted in the fourth round by the Bills in 2018. He’s been a nickel cornerback in Buffalo, but the Raiders aren’t likely to quibble about that given that they need quality players up and down the roster.
Buffalo is shifting from a 4-3 base defense to a 3-4 under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, which apparently made Johnson expendable. Johnson has had eight interceptions, 48 passes defended, eight forced fumbles and 572 tackles in his career, so he’ll provide veteran experience on a Raiders team that’s expected to get much younger.
This is one of those minor deals that could set up a larger one. The Raiders currently have over $100 million in cap space, but no one knows which positions and positional groups they’re going to prioritize in free agency and the draft.