NFL Playoffs 2012: 10 Players Who Could Earn Huge Contracts This January

After the 2012 NFL playoffs come to a close, star players like Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints are likely going to be telling their agents, "Show me the money!"

And why wouldn't they? Most of these guys are the reason why their teams are in the postseason in the first place.

Unfortunately for many teams, this offseason will include a lot of big-time players hitting the free-agent market. Teams are going to have to cough up some cash in order to retain their assets; otherwise, they may lose some important pieces.

This doesn't even include players who could potentially hold out—Calvin Johnson, anyone?

These 10 guys will be running to the bank after this season, as they will be handed some huge contracts after their teams made the playoffs this past season.

Marques Colston

The "Greatest Show on Turf II"? You could say that is what the New Orleans Saints looked like this past season, as they eclipsed the performance of the 2000 St. Louis Rams in terms of total offense with 7,474 yards.

A key component to this piece of history was wide receiver Marques Colston.

This season, Colston hauled in 80 receptions for 1,143 yards with eight touchdowns. One could say this was Colston's best season ever, considering he only played in 14 games. He didn't surpass his 2007 numbers of 1,202 yards and 11 touchdowns, but who knows how much more damage he could have done if he played in those other two games?

The Saints are going to rely on Colston to make some big plays, as he has done for the club all season. He should be able to come through big, and as a result, he will see a huge payday. Colston is only making $3 million this season, so look for him to start asking for elite money.

It is going to be tough for the Saints to come up with the money, as they will have Colston, Drew Brees and Robert Meachem all looking to get paid this offseason.

If the Saints are smart, they will find a way to pay up. If they don't, they will likely regret that decision, as many other teams will be fighting for his services.

Ray Rice

The Baltimore Ravens have found their franchise running back in Ray Rice, so they will likely be willing to pay whatever it takes to retain him for many more years.

This past season, Rice has helped carry the Ravens offense, rushing for 1,364 yards while punching in 12 touchdowns. Rice is a little guy, stacking up at only 5'8", but he is still one of the toughest guys to get down in the league.

Rice is still on his rookie contract, so he is only making $555,000 this season. There is no doubt that Rice will be looking for a huge payday. If the Ravens decide to use the franchise tag on him, he will receive a nice payday, but that likely will lead to a holdout for the star back.

It remains to be seen what the set market price will be on elite running backs, but one could assume that many of these productive backs will be looking for the type of money that Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson signed this offseason. Johnson is getting paid, but he isn't performing, and as a result, many guys are going to believe they deserve that type of money.

Rice definitely has proven his worth to the Ravens organization, and it will have to write him a big, fat check this offseason.

Jermichael Finley

The Green Bay Packers have been on fire this season, even more so because of the return of tight end Jermichael Finley.

Last season, Finley wasn't able to play more then five games because of an injury, so he really needed to bounce back in a big way this season. Well, he did that, and now he will be looking to get paid.

This season, Finley has played in every game for the Packers. He has been a consistent threat, having 55 receptions for 767 yards. He also has eight touchdown receptions on the year, surpassing his previous career high of five back in 2009.

Currently, Finley is making $1.2 million, but he could be looking to make something close to the $5.75 million, which is what the Atlanta Falcons' Tony Gonzalez is making.

Finley has been an important piece to this Packers offense, and they will likely do whatever they can to retain him for years to come.

The Packers played well last season without the big tight end, but they played even better this season with him in the lineup.

Arian Foster

Running back Arian Foster is going to be a restricted free agent this offseason, but the Texans will be in a tough position when they have to make their decision on their star back.

Foster has been a force these past two seasons, but there has been a bit of a running back controversy, with Ben Tate providing some solid numbers when given the chance. Still, the Texans cannot run the risk of losing Foster. Nonetheless, it will be a tough financial decision for the club.

The 2011 season started out slow for Foster, but he was able to bounce back after missing three games due to a lingering hamstring injury. Once he returned, it was as if he never was gone.

Foster had yet again another terrific season, compiling 1,224 yards on 278 carries. He also had 10 rushing touchdowns, as well as two in the receiving department. He has been a force out in the passing game as well, once again eclipsing the 600-yard mark for the second consecutive year.

The Texans couldn't risk losing Foster, but he is going to be looking to get paid big. He has been the most consistent piece of the Texans' offensive attack, as both quarterback Matt Schaub and wide receiver Andre Johnson have missed time.

If the Texans don't pay Foster, someone most definitely will.

Mike Wallace

The Pittsburgh Steelers have found their next big-play threat in wide receiver Mike Wallace, so don't expect to see him moving anywhere else this offseason.

Wallace has been a great addition to what is clearly an aging wide receiving corps in Pittsburgh. He is a consistent deep threat, going for over 1,000 yards in his past two seasons.

Wallace is only getting paid $525,000, so he is going to make sure he gets what he deserves.

This past season, Wallace had 72 receptions for 1,193 yards. That included eight touchdown receptions. Both numbers were less than his 2010 numbers, but nonetheless, Wallace is still a huge threat that the Steelers will retain for years to come.

Wallace will be entering just his fourth season next year, so expect big things to come for many, many more years.

Drew Brees

Wow, talk about playing well during your contract year. Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints managed to outshine both Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady this season, as he eclipsed Dan Marino's season-high passing mark with 5,476 yards on the season.

Brees ran one of the most high-powered offenses in the league this season, and he was effective week in and week out. This season, Brees threw 46 touchdowns and managed to keep his turnover numbers low with only 14 interceptions.

While the Saints relied heavily on the pass this season, it isn't like they weren't effective. Brees completed 71.2 percent of his passes, which is a career high for the 11-year veteran.

This offseason, he will be turning 33 years old, but there is no reason to put any doubt on what he is capable of doing for many years to come.

The Saints are going to have to write Brees a blank check, as without him they will likely fall back down to the bottom of the league.

While it remains a long shot, there is reason to believe that Brees could give the Green Bay Packers a run for their money. The two teams have already faced off this season, and Brees and Rodgers would likely have to out-throw the other in order to earn a spot to the Super Bowl.

If Brees can capture his second ring in just three seasons, he will be getting Peyton Manning money, even though he is already making $7.4 million now.

Mario Williams

Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams has not been on the field since Week 5, but he will still be looking to get paid this offseason.

Williams has been a force in the NFL since he entered the league back in 2006. His numbers have dropped over the years, but he is still a guy who is good for almost 10 sacks a season.

The 2009 season was the last season where he played all 16 games. That year, he recorded 43 total tackles, 38 of which were solo and nine that were sacks.

Williams was making $13.8 million this past season, but he will likely be looking for a long-term deal. The Texans will have a lot on their plate this offseason, and they will have to decide on where they are best served to spend their money.

It will be hard to retain both Williams and running back Arian Foster, but in the end they could possibly find a way to make it work.

If Williams is back in full health next season, he will once again be one of the most dangerous threats coming off the line.

Matt Flynn

While he is not a starter in the NFL, Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Matt Flynn could be getting a big payday from a team in need of a quality passer this offseason.

Flynn is stuck behind star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but he has shined when given the chance.

In their Week 17 matchup against the Detroit Lions, Flynn got the nod. To say the least, he went off. In that game, Flynn threw for 480 yards while racking up six touchdowns on the day.

Was that the Packers offense, or was it Flynn? Well, that remains to be seen. Nevertheless, the performance was quite remarkable no matter the situation.

While he still needs to be tested to see how he could fare over an entire season, some team is going to be willing to cough up some serious cash to get Flynn under center next season.

The Packers likely would like to keep Flynn as their backup, just in case Rodgers were to go down, but they will not likely be able or willing to match the money that Flynn could get offered.

Whoever gets him, though, better hope that he doesn't turn out like Kevin Kolb did this past season for the Arizona Cardinals.

Brent Grimes

The Atlanta Falcons will need to keep cornerback Brent Grimes around after this season, as he has been a consistent beast in their secondary for the past three seasons.

This year, Grimes only played in 12 games, but he still was able to put up huge numbers. He had 49 tackles but was only able to gather one interception. Still, he has proven that he can stop the opposing team's offense, so he would be a huge loss to the Falcons organization.

In 2010, Grimes had his best season. That year, he played in all 16 games, and in that time he recorded 87 tackles and five interceptions and was able to get his hands on 23 passes.

Grimes was making $2.1 million this past season, and he will be looking to increase those numbers significantly. The Falcons should pay him well no matter what the result is this postseason, but he could really benefit from coming up big.

Robert Meachem

The New Orleans Saints are going to have to make some big decisions this offseason, and the odd man out could be wide receiver Robert Meachem.

Meachem has been a consistent second threat for Drew Brees and the Saints, but they will likely have a hard time coming up with the money that he will be looking for if they do re-sign both Brees and Marques Colston.

This past season, Meachem brought in 40 receptions for 620 yards. He also scored six times and has proven to be a consistent big-play threat. He averages 16.1 yards per catch over his career, so many teams in need of a big wide receiver will find interest in Meachem.

While he isn't likely going to make big money like Colston, he should see a nice increase from the $1.2 million he is currently making.