John Spytek has a chance to take advantage of one of his best friend’s mistakes, and it would help the Raiders build their roster
The Las Vegas Raiders could use some linebacker help on their 53-man roster, and Caden Fordham could be the guy.
The Las Vegas Raiders have their roster completed, for the most part. The majority of what the roster is now, will be the same at the end of the year. However, there are always opportunities to test the waters. The Raiders have a chance at making the roster better.
And, by doing that, general manager John Spytek could end up playing off one of his buddies’ mistakes. Tampa Bay Buccaneers GM Jason Licht recently cut NC State linebacker Caden Fordham. The Las Vegas Raiders do have a depth need at linebacker, and Fordham is pretty good, all things considered. Not to mention, he’s already been in contact with the Raiders.
“I got the call from the [Cleveland] Browns and the [Las Vegas] Raiders for minicamp invites,” Fordham said after Tuesday’s practice before he was waived. “Then, shortly after, my agent called me and said that Tampa Bay wanted to sign me as a free agent. I obviously took that opportunity and wanted to come here and be a part of the Buccaneers and what they [have] going on.”
Fordham played five years at NC State, where he accumulated 252 career tackles, 4.5 sacks, and two interceptions. However, he still wasn’t drafted. The Raiders currently have three depth linebackers on the roster in Cody Lindenberg, Tommy Eichenberg, and Segun Olubi. So, some extra depth wouldn’t hurt. Not to mention, Fordham could be a guy they develop.
The decision to waive Caden Fordham was a surprise for a couple of reasons. For starters, he’s a very good player. He may be a bit undersized, but his instincts make up for that and he has plenty of athleticism and ability to stick on an NFL roster, even if it’s a rotational role. He can certainly make his mark on special teams, just like he did for the Buccaneers during the offseason.
The next aspect is the Buccaneers’ current linebacker room and defensive line situation. Christian Rozeboom and SirVocea Dennis are both hurt, leaving the Buccaneers with just two truly healthy LBs and they have seven defensive linemen on the 53, which is quite heavy and more than what they typically carry.
If the Raiders can snag Fordham, they’ll get a very smart, productive, and dedicated player who could make a play here and there in 2026. And maybe even beyond.
