Bills move quickly to replace Taron Johnson with unlikely Falcons' corner

Understandably so, the Buffalo Bills weren’t among the most active teams once the NFL’s legal tampering period opened up on Monday. But they didn’t sit on the sidelines the entire day, as general manager Brandon Beane found a worthy addition to the defense.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and several other reports, the Bills have agreed to terms to sign Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford. Reportedly, the three-year contract is worth up to $21 million with $10 million in guarantees.

Having recently parted ways with Tarron Johnson, Alford likely steps in as the Bills new nickel cornerback for new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.

Bills land Taron Johnson replacement in Falcons CB Dee Alford

Alford, 28, was an undrafted free agent out of Division 2 Tusculum in Tennessee, where he was a walk-on, in 2022, but he quickly caught his footing in Atlanta. He progressively saw more playing time across the Falcons’ underrated defense and special teams throughout his four seasons in the ATL. 

In 2025, Alford put the whole package together with a career season at just the right time. Last season, he hauled in a career high three interceptions and set a new career high in pass deflections with 13. According to Pro Football Reference, Alford allowed just 67% of passes in his cove3rage area to be completed for 571 yards and four scores last season.

Alford primarily played in the slot for Atlanta, where he had 1,711 total snaps, and that’s where the Bills will fit him into the defense in 2026. Jim Leonhard’s new 3-4 scheme wasn’t a perfect fit for Taron Johnson, who the Bills traded to Las Vegas on Sunday night. Alford quickly fills that void for Buffalo, assuming he can continue to play at a high level.

Overall, Alford is low-risk gamble in the Bills’ efforts to replace Johnson in the slot. Still, he’s just half a year younger than Johnson and lacks the same quality resume Johnson built over eight years in Western New York. That said, if Alford give Buffalo what he gave Atlanta last year production wise, then it would be considerably more than they got out of Johnson, who started just eight games.

The Bills have more work to do on defense, especially since the scheme is changing. But at the very least, Beane has added a critical piece to the starting lineup in the secondary where, hopefully, Alford can continue to shape himself into a standout slot corner in this league.