Bills release CB Taron Johnson, WR Curtis Samuel, per sources

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Bills have moved on from a key player in their defense for many years, releasing Taron Johnson from the nickel team, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Friday. Buffalo is also releasing wide receiver Curtis Samuel, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter, as the Bills work to align themselves with the cap before the start of the league year.

The combined moves will free up the Bills with just over $7.9 million in cap space (about $6 million from Samuel, $1.9 million from Johnson). The team will not designate Johnson as a release after June 1, a source said. If they had done so, the bills would have saved nearly $7 million more.

These releases come on the heels of the Bills trading for Samuel’s former Carolina Panthers teammate DJ Moore on Thursday.

Moving on from Johnson is one of the first significant moves as the Bills shift to a different defensive philosophy — from a 4-3 base to a 3-4 base — under new coordinator Jim Leonard. Under former Bills coach Sean McDermott over the past eight seasons, Johnson developed into the team’s starting cornerback.

Johnson, 29, was part of Buffalo’s president of football operations and general manager Brandon Beane’s fourth-round pick in 2018. He cemented his role as a starter in 2020 after sitting on the bench during the season. Since 2020, no team has been in the nickel more than the Bills (83.4%), and part of that is due to Johnson’s performance.

He will always be remembered in Buffalo for his 101-yard pick-and-roll against the Baltimore Ravens in the 2020 season.

Leonard said last month that he had spoken with Johnson and was excited about a potential change in position.

“He knows we’re going to reach out to him, figure out what’s right because he’s been a very productive player in the NFL, and now he’s trying to figure out the best matchup between some of the things I’ve done in the past and what they’ve done really well to bring out a player like that,” Leonard said.

Samuel’s time with the Bills (2024-25) was plagued with injuries and he didn’t have much success when he was on the field. He played in 20 regular season games and caught 38 passes for 334 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 14 yards on five carries.