One full week has passed since the Bucs finalized their 53-man roster for the 2026 season and brought back an additional 17 players (16 plus one international exemption) to the practice squad. With the season getting underway in six days against the Bengals in Cincinnati, Tampa Bay is still making roster moves.
The Bucs on Monday signed linebacker Caden Fordham to the practice squad. In a corresponding move, Tampa Bay waived cornerback Roman Parodie, who joined the team in the middle of training camp and recorded an interception in the preseason win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Fordham initially made the 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie out of NC State. He was one of three undrafted rookies notified last weekend he had made the team out of camp, joining quarterback Jalon Daniels and cornerback Ayden Garnes. But the NFL can be a cruel business and Fordham, two days after learning he had made the Bucs, was waived to make room for cornerback Kevin Knowles, whom the team signed off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs.
Bucs ILB Caden Fordham – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Caden Fordham Shined During Bucs Training Camp
Fordham wasn’t at the top of anyone’s mind in terms of making the team when the Bucs arrived to the AdventHealth Training Center in July, but that quickly changed. The Jacksonville native turned out impressive days of practice, notably gaining attention with his performance during an indoors practice on Aug. 2.
Everything Fordham did to stand out in practice translated in preseason contests. He featured in all three games for Tampa Bay, posting 10 tackles, two tackles for loss, and a PBU. But where Fordham really shined was on special teams as a member of Danny Smith’s coverage unit. Fordham led all NFL players with four tackles in kick coverage.
“Once we put the pads on…I mean, he’s not the most athletic, but he is a good athlete,” head coach Todd Bowles said of Fordham. “Once he put the pads on, just knowing where to be and striking linemen and making plays and being in the right spot every time. He wasn’t getting fooled. He played well on [special] teams. He was just an instinctive, good football player. He got better every day and every week and he didn’t make the same mistake twice, and he beat the rest of the guys out.”
Fordham, the second-leading tackler in the FBS last season, took advantage of his opportunities with fellow linebackers SirVocea Dennis and Christian Rozeboom sidelined with injuries throughout the month of August. It led to his inclusion on the initial 53-man roster, an incredible achievement for a player who signed with the Bucs — the only team to offer him a spot on the 90-man roster after the draft — back in May with only $2,000 in guaranteed money.
#Bucs ILB Caden Fordham says he knows that people don’t think he has the athleticism, but between his knowledge, ability to see things and digest things, he has enough ability to play in this league. pic.twitter.com/VVLyud5pD7
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) September 1, 2026
Fordham could soon have an opportunity to make his NFL debut as a practice squad elevation, perhaps as early as Week 1. Rozeboom is still dealing with a foot injury, and Bowles said, “we’ll see if he makes it,” when asked this past week about the linebacker’s availability for Cincinnati.