Saints waive Damien Alford after Syracuse and Utah stops, as Bills part with Desmond Reid

New Orleans made a quiet roster change on Monday, waiving wide receiver Damien Alford as part of a set of minor NFL transactions listed for June 22, 2026. The move ends the Saints’ off-season evaluation window for a player whose path to the NFL has been unconventional, involving multiple stops across college football, Canadian football, and a futures opportunity with the team.

Alford’s timeline traces back to four seasons at Syracuse before he transferred to Utah. At Utah, the transition did not immediately translate into game production, as the report notes he appeared in four games without recording a catch. That lack of receiving output contributed to him going undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft, a detail that underscored the volatility of prospects whose projections are shaped more by athletic upside and alternative development routes than by college statistical production.

Instead of moving directly into the NFL after the draft, Alford returned to the Canadian football ecosystem. According to the transaction summary, he was the first-overall selection in the 2025 CFL Draft, a step that raised his profile and suggested CFL teams viewed his traits as translatable to pro play. The same report credits Alford with production during his CFL stint with the Calgary Stampeders, catching 20 passes for 407 yards and five touchdowns.

The Saints then brought him into the organization through a reserve/futures contract in January, giving him a chance to compete for a role during the off-season. Monday’s waiver indicates that, at least for now, the team has decided to move on from that developmental opportunity, leaving his next destination to the waiver process and subsequent workouts.

In a separate move within the same transaction list, Buffalo waived running back Desmond Reid. While the summary does not provide additional context beyond the waiver, the pairing of the two moves reflects the routine reshaping of depth charts during the summer months, when teams adjust for offseason additions, competition at camp, and roster constraints that can change quickly.

For New Orleans, the waiver is best understood as a short-term reset rather than a statement on whether the team is abandoning the receiving talent pipeline. The Saints have repeatedly leaned on developmental opportunities, including players who come from different football backgrounds. What matters next is whether Alford clears waivers and lands elsewhere, or whether another team claims him as a longer-term bet based on his CFL production and physical traits.