The Buffalo Bills announced they released cornerback Taron Johnson, safety Taylor Rapp, wide receiver Curtis Samuel and cornerback Dane Jackson on Friday, March 6.
Johnson completed year eight with the Bills in 2025, playing in 13 games and making eight starts. He logged 57 tackles, four passes defensed and one tackle for loss.
Over his eight-season career in Buffalo, he registered 572 tackles, 48 passes defensed, 23 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits, eight forced fumbles, six interceptions and three fumble recoveries. Johnson developed into one of the best nickel cornerbacks in the NFL, earning second team All-Pro in 2023.
Johnson had one of the most iconic defensive plays in Bills history with a 101-yard pick six against the Ravens in the 2020-21 NFL Playoffs.
The Bills drafted Johnson in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Weber State, selecting him 121st overall. He appeared in 113 games and made 87 starts over the eight seasons.
Rapp started his NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams in 2019, and Buffalo signed the safety to a one-year deal in 2023.
He spent three seasons as a Bill, logging 158 tackles, eight passes defensed, three interceptions, three tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one quarterback hit and a half-sack over 36 games and 24 starts.
Buffalo placed Rapp on injured reserve on Oct. 24, 2025, due to a lingering knee injury that affected him throughout training camp. He played and started in six games in 2025, making 26 tackles.
Over his seven-year career, Rapp registered 488 tackles, 31 passes defensed, 12 interceptions, 11 tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, four fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.
Rapp was a second-round draft pick out of Washington in the 2019 NFL Draft, going 61st overall to the Rams.
Samuel departs from the Bills after two seasons in Buffalo. He caught 38 passes in 20 regular season games, combining for 334 yards and two touchdowns.
While Samuel struggled staying healthy in the regular season, he was a key contributor during the 2024-25 postseason. Samuel caught six passes for 81 yards and two touchdowns during that postseason run.
Over his nine year NFL career, Samuel has recorded over 3,700 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns.
Jackson ends his second stint in Buffalo after appearing in three regular season games and two postseason games in 2025-26. He was drafted by the Bills in the seventh round of the 2020 draft and played for the team for four seasons.
Jackson spent the 2024 season in Carolina and rejoined Buffalo a year later. In 2025, Jackson spent most of the year on the practice squad but was signed to the Bills' active roster before the playoffs. He recorded four tackles across five games last season.
During his time in Buffalo, Jackson was a valuable leader among the cornerback unit.
