The Buffalo Bills trade Darryl Johnson to the Carolina Panthers for a 2022 sixth round pick.
The defensive end position was going to be one to watch closely for the Buffalo Bills as they try to cut their roster down to 53-players by Tuesday. The reason being that they had great depth and if they weren’t able to trade someone, they were likely going to have to cut good players.
Well, general manager Brandon Beane was able to make a trade and it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he agreed to a deal with his former employer. The Buffalo Bills announced on Monday they have traded Darryl Johnson to the Carolina Panthers for a 2022 sixth-round pick.
The connection between the Bills and Panthers since Beane and McDermott is well documented but it is usually former Panthers heading north.
While Darryl Johnson was considered to be a player at the bottom of the depth chart for the Bills, he does have great value and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted he was an under-the-radar player.
An under-the-radar but intriguing name, the #Bills have been receiving calls about Darryl Johnson from teams seeking edge help. With plenty of their own, Buffalo swings a deal with Carolina and GM Scott Fitterer… who has been known to do a trade or eight himself. https://t.co/FwFqUccCLE
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 30, 2021
The reason that Johnson was intriguing is probably due to the fact that even if he doesn’t see regular playing time on defense, he has developed into a good special teams contributor. However, he showed growth as a pass rusher this preseason and could be a rotational player for the Panthers this season.
Buffalo Bills are smart to trade Darryl Johnson
For the Buffalo Bills, this is a deal that makes sense and helps not only at defensive end but across the defensive line. There was the potential the Bills would keep seven defensive ends but it would mean they could probably only keep three defensive tackles.
The trade of Darryl Johnson means the Bills now are likely to have six defensive ends with Efe Obada being a player who seemed likely to make the 53-man roster but is now almost a certainty at this point. Obada is a player that brings a little more versatility than Johnson as he can play inside as well as outside.