'I'm just overwhelmed with emotions': CB Essang Bassey adds to Broncos' history of successful undrafted free agents

[Miles]

Bassey said when he was signed as an undrafted player in April, he knew he would have an opportunity to make the roster. Then, COVID-19 led the NFL to cancel its preseason games, which have been the main avenue for undrafted players to prove themselves. Without that chance, Bassey placed added emphasis on every practice rep.


"I knew every time I came out to practice during camp, those are my game reps," Bassey said. "I had to treat every rep like a game rep, because I knew that's the only way I was going to get the attention of the coaches and that was the only way they were going to see me. That's kind of how I approached things coming in."


Even in practice, Bassey's traits were evident enough that the coaching staff took notice. After his successful stint with the first-team defense, he rode that momentum to a roster spot.


"He came in and instantly you can see if a guy has instincts or not and a feel and if it's kind of in his body to play the game, just the way they carry themselves on the field, what things they see, and he showed that," Fangio said Saturday. "Because we didn't have preseason games, we let him work with the first team the other day. … It wasn't too big for him. We're happy to have him."


Bassey, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound player, even reminds Fangio of a starter on the Broncos' roster.


"Comparing him to Bryce Callahan at the same stage — we had Bryce way back [in Chicago] when Bryce was a college free agent, undrafted — I'd say Bassey as a nickel back is pretty comparable to where Bryce was at that same point in time," Fangio said.


Bassey said that comparison suggests the high expectations his head coach has for him — and he has similarly high expectations for himself. Alongside college teammate Justin Strnad, who was placed on injured reserve earlier this week, Bassey plans to continue to prove his value to the team.


It's certainly not out of the realm of possibility that Bassey could carve out a career in Denver; four-time Pro Bowler Chris Harris Jr. joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2011, a year in which the offseason was eliminated because of a lockout.


For now, though, Bassey will celebrate an accomplishment that is made only more impressive by the lack of an offseason program and preseason games.


"I'm just overwhelmed with emotions and excited," Bassey said. "I called my parents immediately, crying. Just [feeling] overwhelming excitement."