NFL players who were helped/hurt by this year's playoffs

Most of the Super Bowl LIII viewers likely learned who the Patriots punter has been during the franchise's three-rings-in-five-years stretch. The six-year veteran pinned the Rams inside their 8-yard line on three separate occasions, helping the Patriots' virtuoso defensive performance and aiding a New England offense that did little to help in what was a 3-3 game through three quarters. The NFL's 13th-highest-paid punter, Allen can expect the Patriots — or another team — to give him a raise as free agency nears. 

Perhaps more than any skill position player, Anderson used these playoffs to enhance his value. The 2018 thrice-cut running back finished his regular season with two straight 100-yard games, and against a Cowboys defense that mauled the Seahawks' NFL-best rushing attack, Anderson keyed a Rams win. The admittedly overweight back bludgeoned Dallas for 123 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. Previously excelling in Gary Kubiak's zone-blocking system, Anderson forced a timeshare with Todd Gurley. It would not be surprising to see the Rams retain him, but they will have competition. 

Punctuating his bounce-back regular season with one of the catches of the year — a TD grab against the Giants — Beasley did not make an impact in the playoffs. The veteran slot man caught just four passes for 43 yards in the Cowboys' two playoff games. He also appears here for postseason comments regarding how the Cowboys distribute the ball. Beasley may be right, but going into his age-30 season as a 5-foot-8 once-undrafted receiver, this and a dud January did not build him any momentum. 

While the Ravens surged following their switch to Lamar Jackson, Brown's season nose-dived. After being one of the league's top rebound players during the Joe Flacco games, Brown finished with 105 yards in Jackson's seven regular-season starts compared to 610 in Flacco's nine. Against the Chargers, Jackson again looked elsewhere, going to Willie Snead and Michael Crabtree during Baltimore's comeback attempt. Brown caught two passes for 14 yards. This is largely not Brown's fault, but the former Cardinal's one-year deal ended poorly. 

Given little attention as the right tackle for a 49ers team whose games were rarely televised to wide audiences, Brown made big money during three Tony Romo broadcasts. Part of a Patriots offensive line that allowed merely 11 pressures on Tom Brady during the AFC playoffs, the 6-foot-8, 380-pound now-left tackle was yet another key Bill Belichick trade acquisition. Although Dante Scarnecchia is arguably this era's best offensive line coach, with teams taking a risk on players who probably will not be as productive outside New England, Brown will command a big contract come March. 

Desir has spent this decade as a nomad, playing at two Division II colleges and with four NFL teams from 2010-17. But a 2017 Colts waiver claim stabilized the cornerback's career. Playing on a one-year, $1.75 million deal in 2018, Desir delivered a strong playoffs. The former fourth-round pick got the better of DeAndre Hopkins, holding him to two catches for 16 yards on five targets when matched up. Desir also broke up a pass intended for the Texans superstar. Desir intercepted a pass against the Chiefs, but an offside penalty negated it. The 28-year-old corner will command a much better deal in 2019.

Although Flowers has been making his big-money case for a while, Bill Belichick's latest pass-rushing chess piece cranked it up in these playoffs. Flowers has yet to register more than 7.5 sacks in a season, but he had two quarterback hits against the Chargers, Chiefs and Rams. He recorded two sacks in the AFC playoffs, bringing down Philip Rivers and Patrick Mahomes, and a tackle for loss in the Patriots' dominant defensive Super Bowl. These displays may price Flowers out of New England, though the Pats may deviate and shell out some cash to keep a cornerstone lineman.

Since both Fluker and Sweezy were battling late-season injuries, this is unfair. But injuries matter when teams are preparing offseason budgets. A poor running team from 2015-17 — the '17 slate, which did not involve Fluker or Sweezy, being particularly horrendous — Seattle led the NFL with 160 yards on the ground this season. But in the playoffs, the Cowboys dominated the line of scrimmage. The Seahawks' futile attempts to establish a ground game produced 59 yards. Buy-low candidates Fluker and Sweezy finishing their seasons on this note ended otherwise intriguing contract years. 

After Tuesday's procedural sequence, Foles is a free agent. The Eagles are planning to use their franchise tag on their popular backup quarterback, but he will be someone else's starter next season. After reigniting the defending champions' playoff push, Foles kept his team in both of its playoff games. Although Foles threw four playoff interceptions, the last of which an Alshon Jeffery drop that let the Saints off the hook, his pinpoint fourth-down TD pass to Golden Tate opened the door for the double doink. Foles showing that the Super Bowl LII MVP last year was not a fluke paves the way for a starting QB salary in 2019.

The bulk of the United States' football-following public may blame Ford for enabling the Patriots to skate away with another Super Bowl title, and those people are not necessarily wrong. Ford's neutral-zone infraction, negating a Chiefs Super Bowl berth, was one of the most damaging penalties in NFL history. But the edge-rusher market is never vibrant. Ford dominated against the Colts, who employed one of the top pass-protecting lines. He pressured Andrew Luck five times, hurried him twice and sacked him once. If the Chiefs do not franchise-tag Ford, he will be in line for a massive free-agency payday.

Problematic off-field happenings and underwhelming on-field work in Jacksonville preceded Fowler's stock-reviving playoffs with Los Angeles. The Rams' trade acquisition notched 1.5 sacks and four quarterback pressures in the NFC playoffs, his most memorable moment hitting Drew Brees' right arm to force John Johnson's monumental overtime interception. Fowler, who also sacked Tom Brady twice in the 2017 AFC championship game, hit Brady in Super Bowl LIII and posted two tackles for loss to help keep the Rams close. Following franchise tag designations, Fowler will be one of the best pass rushers available. 

Again part of a Super Bowl-winning team, Hogan did not stand out in these playoffs the way he did in 2016. Eighteen targets produced eight receptions for 58 yards — one catch being generously ruled as such. While Julian Edelman dominated inside, Hogan — asked to re-emerge post-Josh Gordon and against better cover men than Edelman often faced — could not win many matchups. Hogan's Super Bowl line: six targets, zero catches. The Patriots obviously boast a pass catcher-friendly setup, and the 30-year-old wideout may not find many who believe he can thrive outside of it come March. 

Oddly unpopular as a 2018 free agent, Inman toured the NFL's in-season workout circuit before landing with the Colts. He entered the playoffs battling shoulder and finger injuries but was a reliable chain-mover for Andrew Luck in January. Crisp Inman routes bested multiple Texans defenders, including an 18-yard touchdown. He finished the postseason with eight catches (on eight targets) for 108 yards, both games being better than all but one of his regular-season showings. Even at 30, the formerly productive Chargers fill-in should be a candidate for a midlevel deal this offseason.

Jackson turned in a quality 2018 season. The Texans toggled him between cornerback and safety, and the former first-round pick was a reliable option for the AFC South champions. However, he allowed several completions in the first-round loss to the Colts, some to midseason free-agent pickup Dontrelle Inman. The latter also beat Jackson deep, drawing a 23-yard pass interference penalty on what was a two-infraction Jackson drive. Jackson's age (31 in April) and most recent outing may diminish his stock slightly, but he should have a decent midtier market. 

Janikowski did not exit his season on a high note. After missing all of 2017 due to injury, Seabass went down during the Seahawks' opening-round loss to the Cowboys. Seattle sending Janikowski out for a 57-yard field goal try resulted in the soon-to-be 41-year-old kicker injuring his hamstring and affecting the Seahawks' strategy henceforth. Janikowski did make two other field goals in Dallas but may not get a second season in Seattle. This pattern of injuries will damage his late-career outlook.

In going from an 0-16 team to a Super Bowl champion, the 31-year-old cornerback entered Super Bowl LIII attached to retirement rumors. If McCourty wants to play another season, he will command more attention on the market. Acquired for a sixth-round pick, McCourty became a key Patriot, and in maybe the best defensive performance by a team in Super Bowl history, the veteran corner made the play of the game. His near-20-yard sprint to break up a Brandin Cooks touchdown kept the Patriots ahead. McCourty added another breakup in a game that capped a three-start playoffs for the 10th-year defender.

Not that he needed to prove anything, but Mosley delivered in the Ravens' opening-round loss. The stalwart inside linebacker made 12 tackles and recovered a fumble that set up a field goal, beginning Baltimore's ultimately ill-fated comeback bid. Mosley's game-high tackle total also helped hold the Chargers to four field goals despite the visitors dominating through three quarters. Although teams do not frequently spend big dollars on off-ball linebackers, at least compared to their pass-rushing brethren, Mosley will be an exception — if the Ravens allow him to leave (doubtful).

Somewhat forgotten because of the Chargers' rough outing in Foxborough, the Bolts' seven-defensive back stymied Lamar Jackson in the wild-card round. One of the safeties tasked with playing linebacker, Phillips shined in Baltimore. The impending free agent intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble — both plays leading to Charger field goals — and was a force in stopping the Ravens' run-heavy attack. Phillips also allowed just a 2.8 passer rating on the three passes thrown his way. Safety is this market's deepest position, but Phillips' versatility will help his case.

Like many Rams on Sunday night, Suh did not have his most dominant game against the Patriots. He did, though, help a defense taxed to a historic degree, via the Rams' first eight drives ending in punts, and he helped the Rams limit the Patriots (34 and 33 points in their past two Super Bowls) to a field goal through three-and-a-half quarters. Aaron Donald's running mate also generated seven pressures in the NFC playoffs, sacking Drew Brees 1.5 times and helping the Rams derail the Cowboys' and Saints' run games. Suh is now 32 but remains one of the NFL's top defensive tackles; he will again be paid like it.

An underrated component of the Seahawks' famed 2010s defenses, Wright is likely to exit Seattle in free agency. He missed 11 games in 2018 due to injury, but the outside linebacker re-emerged against the Cowboys. Wright stuffed the box score with eight tackles (one for loss), an interception and a pass breakup. Wright's juggling end-zone pick of Dak Prescott kept the Seahawks in the game in the fourth quarter. Though Wright plays a position that mostly does not earn big money, the 29-year-old will have a market.