Free agent defensive back Dontae Johnson is signing with the Bills, per a report from Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. The Bills, with Micah Hyde suffering a groin injury and Phillip Gaines in recovery from a dislocated elbow, needed to bolster their secondary. Johnson, now healthy and recently released from injured reserve by the Seahawks, can give the team some support.
Johnson is a fifth year pro who attended NC State and spent the past four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. He played in 63 pro games, starting 22, and was a full-season starter for the Niners last year. The 6’2” 200 pounder is an athletic player, with a 4.45 40 yard dash and 38.5 inch vertical leap at his rookie Combine, but Pro Football Focus wasn’t a fan of his 2017 performance, ranking him 118th of 121 eligible cornerbacks that year.
Johnson’s primarily a cornerback, but the Bills could use him as their “big nickel” if they need Rafael Bush to cover Hyde’s role.