Free Agency thread for Raiders and league-wide

[RunOverByHubbard]

Free agency opens March 11. CBS Sports has their top 50 ranking. No Raiders on the list. I am surprised at a couple rated high - Aaron Rodgers and Daniel Jones. Lots of wide receivers

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/earl ... ng-top-50/

[vtraider]

Dude that is f[raiders_icon]cking sweet. Yours?

Nah. Mine are more the scary black ones everyone mistakes as assault rifles

[Sold My Soul]

The Las Vegas Raiders just played the NFL offseason like a poker pro sitting at a table full of amateurs. They saw an opportunity, kept a straight face, and cashed in before anyone else could blink.

On Sunday night, the Raiders agreed to a trade with the Buffalo Bills for veteran Cornerback Taron Johnson. He is a second-team All-Pro who, just hours earlier, was reportedly headed for the unemployment line. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport broke the news on X. How will this move work out for all sides?

Who Is Taron Johnson?

Trade: The #Raiders are trading for #Bills veteran CB Taron Johnson, sources say. It's a 6/7 pick swap.

Johnson was announced as a release, but not officially on the wire yet. Las Vegas pounces. pic.twitter.com/B0oY28Uebp

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2026

If you’re not familiar with Johnson, let’s get you up to speed. The 29-year-old cornerback out of Weber State has spent his entire eight-season NFL career with the Bills, developing into one of the best nickel corners in the league. He was a fourth-round pick back in 2018 and proceeded to make the Bills look like absolute geniuses for selecting him.

Over 113 regular-season games, Johnson racked up 572 tackles, 48 passes defensed, 23 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits, 8 forced fumbles, 6 interceptions, and 3 fumble recoveries. He earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2023, cementing his status as one of the premier slot defenders in football.

Even Aaron Rodgers went out of his way to praise Johnson recently, calling him “one of the best players in the league and one of the most underrated players in the league.” High praise from a guy who’s seen it all.

Why the Bills Moved On From Johnson

Here’s where it gets a little bittersweet. The Bills didn’t move on from Johnson because they wanted to. They moved on because they had to.

Buffalo is sitting around $12 million under the salary cap, and with Johnson carrying an $8.1 million base salary in 2026, something had to give. The Bills initially announced Johnson’s release, but then the Raiders showed up, waved a sixth-round pick, and suddenly Buffalo had a little draft capital to show for their cap cleanup.

In a statement, the Bills acknowledged everything Johnson meant to the organization. Eight seasons. 113 games. 87 starts. One of the most iconic plays in franchise history. That’s not a player you let walk without feeling it a little. Josh Allen, who never minces words when it comes to his teammates, said it plainly about Johnson: “He’s a great teammate, a great friend. He’s definitely one who helps set the tone of how to be a Buffalo Bill.”

What Johnson Means For the Raiders’ Defense

The Raiders needed this. Las Vegas has been aggressively rebuilding on both sides of the ball this offseason, and its secondary was a glaring area of concern heading into free agency. Adding Johnson immediately addresses that. He steps in as a starter in the slot, giving first-year Defensive Coordinator Rob Leonard a proven, versatile defender to build around.

Johnson’s ability to play as a box linebacker, cover slot receivers, and stop the run makes him one of the more unique defensive weapons in the NFL.

The Full Trade Details

Here’s what each team walked away with, per Spotrac:

Raiders receive:

CB Taron Johnson
7th-round pick
$8.67M salary in 2026
$10M salary in 2027

Bills receive:

6th-round pick
It’s worth noting that $1.75 million of Johnson’s 2026 salary becomes fully guaranteed on March 15, and Buffalo absorbs $9.5 million in dead cap while freeing up $1.9 million in the process. For the Raiders, who are currently leading the NFL with a reported $121.7 million in cap space, none of those numbers should keep anyone up at night in Las Vegas.

Johnson’s Legacy In Buffalo and What Comes Next

Johnson leaving Buffalo stings. Eight years is a long time. He’s not just a statistic; he’s a pillar of that Bills defense, a guy younger players looked up to and tried to emulate. But in the NFL, loyalty and longevity only carry you so far before the cap catches up. The Bills made a business decision by getting something rather than nothing for a player they couldn’t afford to keep.

As for Johnson, he now gets to write a new chapter. A fresh start in Las Vegas, with a Raiders defense that genuinely needs what he brings. He’s 29, still very much in his prime, and has every motivation to remind the rest of the NFL exactly what they let go.

The Raiders didn’t just add a cornerback. They added a leader, a competitor, and one of the most complete defensive backs in the game. That’s the kind of move that, six months from now, people will look back on and say, “How did they get him for a sixth-round pick?”

Crossing my fingers this isn't "out of date"

[KillerRaider30]

I thought fa didn't start till Monday. Someone slpain

[Xramfan]

I thought fa didn't start till Monday. Someone slpain

He was cut last week

[DrDUne]

I’m sure I’ll get lambasted for this but

I don’t personally believe this free agency period will be as monumental as some do, even with the cap space.

Spytek doesn’t strike me as a “push the money down the road” type of contract structurer. Meaning, I don’t think the free agents will have huge signing bonuses with very low cap hits this year. The money always dwindles faster than you think, not to mention the funds left in the coffers for draft picks, future signings, rollover, etc.

They have money to spend, I’m very interested to see how they structure the terms of these deals.

[raider_kin]

The wailing and the gnashing of teeth begins soon. I better get some sleep.

[JP808]

I’m sure I’ll get lambasted for this but

I don’t personally believe this free agency period will be as monumental as some do, even with the cap space.

Spytek doesn’t strike me as a “push the money down the road” type of contract structurer. Meaning, I don’t think the free agents will have huge signing bonuses with very low cap hits this year. The money always dwindles faster than you think, not to mention the funds left in the coffers for draft picks, future signings, rollover, etc.

They have money to spend, I’m very interested to see how they structure the terms of these deals.

I thought the Raiders have a cap guy that’s been doing all the contracts for all past GMs and coaches. Whatever he’s doing keep doing it. The current contracts allow for change if the team wants to move on. The only downside is, there are a lot of FAs every year. Maybe this is by design until there is stability at GM and HC.

[raider_kin]

Nah. Mine are more the scary black ones everyone mistakes as assault rifles

Is that a Fiat 124 Sport?

[DrDUne]

I thought the Raiders have a cap guy that’s been doing all the contracts for all past GMs and coaches. Whatever he’s doing keep doing it. The current contracts allow for change if the team wants to move on. The only downside is, there are a lot of FAs every year. Maybe this is by design until there is stability at GM and HC.

They do, but clearly in conjunction with how the GM wants it structured. They can sign a guy many different ways to the same end. We’ll see.

[Xramfan]

The wailing and the gnashing of teeth begins soon. I better get some sleep.

If we don’t sign the triple Lindigbaum this place might be a mess

[rcraider]

I’m sure I’ll get lambasted for this but

I don’t personally believe this free agency period will be as monumental as some do, even with the cap space.

Spytek doesn’t strike me as a “push the money down the road” type of contract structurer. Meaning, I don’t think the free agents will have huge signing bonuses with very low cap hits this year. The money always dwindles faster than you think, not to mention the funds left in the coffers for draft picks, future signings, rollover, etc.

They have money to spend, I’m very interested to see how they structure the terms of these deals.

Nope, I think you're spot on, the usual crowd are going to do their annual meltdown when we don't sign every big name free agent in the 1st wave. I see them making 1 big splash signing and a lot of mid tier guys.

[Xramfan]

Popcorn maker all out and ready to go. A couple of sodas in the frig……catch a few hours of sleep now, get up early and hit the range for a bit of plinking and then come home to popcorn and soda and watch the chaos begin

Giddyup boyz

[rich72]

That contract could potentially help us with Linderbaum. 13m/year….is Linderbaum really worth 7mil+ more a year than the guy who was next on the FA list?

I was hearing Linderbaum wants 22+ per year.

[Xramfan]

Is that a Fiat 124 Sport?

When I got my license in high school my parents had a Fiat 131S 4 door. That little thing could scoot a little bit. Got a little shaky as you neared 100 lol

[RI RAIDER]

I’m sure I’ll get lambasted for this but

I don’t personally believe this free agency period will be as monumental as some do, even with the cap space.

Spytek doesn’t strike me as a “push the money down the road” type of contract structurer. Meaning, I don’t think the free agents will have huge signing bonuses with very low cap hits this year. The money always dwindles faster than you think, not to mention the funds left in the coffers for draft picks, future signings, rollover, etc.

They have money to spend, I’m very interested to see how they structure the terms of these deals.

Nor should it be. Fill in some holes and let things marinate (new players and coaches) to make a proper assessment. Having 2 FRP's next season and having more cap space for next season will keep the reconstruction chugging along.