Chargers claim former second-round pick to replace departing safety

The LA Chargers made a surprising move ahead of Week 12's game against the Baltimore Ravens in waiving safety AJ Finley. Finley was one of the biggest standouts of training camp and the preseason, and with special teams value, it was shocking to see the Chargers part ways with the second-year undrafted free agent.

Los Angeles did not have a chance to sign Finley back to the practice squad as the Seattle Seahawks claimed him off waivers. Finley now joins the Seahawks' active 53-man roster.

To remedy this, the Chargers hit the waiver wire themselves to replace Finley with a veteran safety who has ties to this front office. The Chargers claimed 31-year-old Marcus Maye after he was waived by the Miami Dolphins.

Chargers replace AJ Finley with veteran Marcus Maye

The Chargers likely did not want to get rid of Finely altogether but the team was in a roster crunch and had to make the move. Los Angeles needed cornerback depth and had to sign Eli Apple to the active roster for Monday's game after Cam Hart suffered what appears to be a foot/ankle injury last Saturday.

In a perfect world, the Chargers could have kept Finley in the team's ecosystem but he is too talented for that to be the case. Seattle is smart to claim a player of Finley's caliber, even if he only has a special teams impact.

Maye is not a bad consolation prize and some would argue he is an upgrade. He is certainly a more recognizable name having spent eight years in the league. After a long stint with the New York Jets and a two-year stint with the New Orleans Saints, Maye joined the Dolphins ahead of the 2024 season and has played in a lesser role than previous years.

Miami still valued Maye as the team reportedly was looking to re-sign him to the practice squad if he cleared waivers. The Chargers kept that from happening.

Maye can replace Finley on special teams and may have a larger defensive impact. The veteran safety has played 293 defensive snaps this season while Finley only logged 43 snaps.

Alohi Giman and Elijah Molden play a bulk of the snaps at safety, allowing Derwin James to move around the defense and play in the nickel. Gilman has taken a step back in 2024, though, and Maye could start eating into that snap share if those struggles continue.

Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander came from the Jets, having joined the team the year after Maye was drafted in the second round.

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