The Denver Broncos have embraced becoming a more physical football team on offense and defense this offseason, but they’ve also embraced that on the special teams side of the ball.
Denver Broncos special teams unit boosted with return of key players
The Denver Broncos special teams unit struggled in various areas last season due to injuries, youth, and inexperience. However, the players who stood out on the special teams side of the ball were P.J. Locke and Essang Bassey — who provided that unit with experience and consistency in making plays.
The Broncos announced Locke’s return on Friday. In 2022, Locke led Denver’s special teams unit in tackles (12) and maintained one of the most critical roles in the NFL as a core four special teams player.
Not only did Locke provide Denver with value as a personal protector, but injuries forced him to move to gunner where he excelled at beating the opposing team’s jammers, getting downfield and making tackles.
When asked to step up on defense, the Broncos safety showed up when called upon. In Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers, he dislodged the ball on Jeff Wilson Jr’s carry attempt in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Kareem Jackson recovered the ball, helping Denver secure the victory 11-10.
Essang Bassey, another prominent special teams contributor, will be back in 2023. The former undrafted rookie free agent excelled as a jammer and gunner for the Broncos special teams unit, also holding onto the status as a core four player.
Bassey re-signed with the Broncos on Saturday to a one-year deal as first reported by 9News Mike Klis. According to Pro Football Reference, the former undrafted standout from Wake Forest played 62% of the snaps on special teams and 23% of the team’s snaps on defense.
After starting nickel cornerback K’Waun Williams missed some action in 2022 due to injury, Bassey stepped up and started inside the nickel for Denver defensively. Bassey held his own, coming up and making plays against the run and defending several passes inside of the slot.
He emerged as a reliable player under Ejiro Evero and will now work under Vance Joseph’s guidance this upcoming season. Broncos defensive backs coach Christian Parker will continue to aid in his and Locke’s further development inside of the secondary.
Both of these moves are solid for Denver who needs impact players on special teams, but who can also step in and prove to be reliable assets on the defensive side of the ball.
