A veteran player on the Bills team has secured an 8-figure deal and is now considered the “highest paid” nickel CB.
Brandon Beane, the general manager of Buffalo Bills, is implementing significant modifications to their roster in order to adhere with cap regulations. By suddenly releasing many veteran players prior to free agency, it was evident that Beane intended serious action.
Nevertheless, despite changes to the team’s roster, one crucial element remains in Bills coach Sean McDermott’s defense. On Monday, March 18th, ESPN reporter Adam Schefter announced that “the Bills will be securing All-Pro defensive back Taron Johnson with a three-year contract extension that sets him apart as the NFL’s highest-compensated nickel cornerback; according to insider sources. He’ll remain committed to Buffalo until at least 2027.”
According to Schefter, Taron Johnson has signed a contract extension for three years worth $31 million with Buffalo. The deal has now been verified by his agent Jason Chayut.
AJ Feldman from News 8 quipped that the newly signed extension for a slot cornerback could be translated to a whopping $620 million over three years in nickel terms.
Throughout his career, Johnson has exclusively played for Buffalo. After being selected in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft by the Bills, he started all 17 games during their most recent season and managed to log a personal best of 98 total tackles along with eight passes defensed, three forced fumbles as well as one recovery. In addition to that impressive regular-season performance, Johnson contributed another eight total tackles and an additional forced fumble over two playoff games at just twenty-seven years old. His dedication earned him a position on Pro Football Talk’s defensive snaps list where they revealed he had been present for eighty-nine percent of his team’s overall playtime on defense.
Before, Johnson had agreed to a deal worth $24 million over three years with the Bills. This would have kept him on their roster until 2024. However, it appears that they released Siran Neal in order to secure Johnson for an extended period of time and potentially reduce his impact on the team’s salary cap, which is currently set at $12.4 million for 2024.
Mike Catalana of 13 WHAM expressed that Taron Johnson’s defensive performance has been unparalleled among his Bills teammates during his six-year tenure. Based on this, it can be argued that he should now take the lead as their group captain.
Last season, the 5’11” and 192-pound former Webster State student received Second-Team All-Pro recognition. He has participated in 88 games and started in Buffalo for a total of 67 times. Throughout his career, he amassed impressive stats that include notching up to 450 tackles alongside achieving an impressive record of defending against passes (39) as well as forcing fumbles (7), making interceptions (4), with one ending successfully on a pick-six touchdown play.
The Miami Dolphins have signed Siran Neal, a former cornerback for the Buffalo Bills.
Johnson’s extension was announced right after the sudden departure of cornerback Siran Neal. Drafted by the Bills in 2018 and a fifth-round pick, Neal was among Buffalo’s initial cuts.
Neal’s sudden departure came as a shock, given that he had another year left on his $9 million extension. Nonetheless, the move freed up approximately $2.8 million in salary cap space for the team. In free agency, Neal joined forces with Miami Dolphins by signing onto an agreeable one-year deal of worth only $1.95 million – quite reasonable for such a prominent member of special teams!
According to Mark Inabinett of AL.com, Neal has accumulated 1,714 special-teams plays during his regular-season tenure with the Bills since they joined the NFL. This places him among only three other players in the league who have more special teams appearances with a single team. Additionally, he has played defensive snaps for 567 times throughout his career in 97 regular games and even contributed to ten postseason matches while playing for Buffalo.
The Bills parted ways with Tre’Davious White, Neal and Jordan Poyer, and bid farewell to Leonard Floyd. Meanwhile, Micah Hyde – an All-Pro safety – is considering retirement.
After their release, Johnson posted a tribute video on Instagram and captioned it with the phrase “End of an era.”
It was an obvious decision to retain Johnson, according to The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia. He explained that over the past several years, Johnson has become essential in their defense as he enables Buffalo to implement a nickel defensive formation regardless of what offensive personnel they’re facing.
Considered as one of the premier players in his position, he possesses the rare talent to excel not just in pass coverage but also run defending despite having a height and weight of 5-foot-11 and 192 pounds. With such ability, he is regarded by many as irreplaceable on the starting roster making him an invaluable asset for the Bills team. His extensive knowledge about their defensive scheme coupled with exceptional leadership qualities will greatly benefit their secondary defense which lost key personnel during this offseason.”
