2014 NFL Free Agents: Who Could Cash in After Super Bowl Performances?

With another NFL season in the books, we now turn our attention to the offseason, with the draft coverage and free agency ramping up.

While the game itself was a bit of a dumpster fire (unless you were a Seattle Seahawks fan or enjoy 1990s-style blowouts), plenty of players will now be able to point to it as a resume builder when they hit the free-agent market.

Yes, even the team that got curb-stomped—the Denver Broncos—had a few players who made some bank Sunday night.

Of course, some lost money, like Denver running back Knowshon Moreno and wide receiver Eric Decker.

But believe it or not, some Denver players did well in the Super Bowl.

Let’s take a look at who could cash in both from the Broncos as well as the Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks.

*All statistics obtained from NFL.com or ESPN unless otherwise noted.

Mike Adams, Safety, Denver Broncos

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

On the one hand, it’s easy to look at the score and assume the Denver Broncos defense was trashed.

But while the defense was absolutely blown up in the second half—when frankly the unit was beyond gassed—for the most part it kept things close when it could.

Adams made some key saves during the game as well, such as a tackle on running back Robert Turbin in the fourth on a 33-yard play (called back for holding) and a goal-line tackle on running back Marshawn Lynch early in the second quarter (unfortunately, Lynch scored on the next play).

You don’t want your safety to have to be involved that often in plays, but it’s good to know you can depend on him. Adams won’t be one of the top safeties in free agency, but he performed well enough Sunday to earn him some more money.

Shaun Phillips, Defensive End, Denver Broncos

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

As with Adams in the previous slide, Phillips may get overlooked by fans because of how poor the game went for Denver, but the defensive end really had a solid game.

He was integral in helping keep running back Marshawn Lynch contained for much of the game and was a big part of the reason (along with defensive tackle Terrance Knighton) Lynch had just 39 yards and a 2.6 yards-per-carry average.

Phillips was involved in plenty of plays and was key in making sure the defensive plan to stop Lynch went off as expected.

Unfortunately, while they stopped the run game, the defense had no way to stop the passing game, nor Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning’s mistakes.

Michael Bennett, Defensive End, Seattle Seahawks

Elsa/Getty Images

While Michael Bennett didn’t have a huge statistical day, he did fly around the field quite a bit.

Moving around meant the offensive line had to find him and shift accordingly.

He attracted enough attention from them that other players—such as fellow defensive ends Cliff Avril and Chris Clemons—were able to bring pressure on Denver quarterback Peyton Manning.

Add to it the report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport that the Seahawks are already going to re-sign Bennett, while National Football Post’s Joel Corry says he could get around $9 million a year in a new deal.

Bennett didn’t make the splash he had in the previous games, but he did enough to help his case for big money either in Seattle or elsewhere.

Doug Baldwin, Wide Receiver, Seattle Seahawks

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

How critical was Seattle Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin?

Well, as Bleacher Report’s NFC West lead writer Tyson Langland pointed out on Twitter Sunday night, three of Baldwin’s receptions were third-down conversions, and when Seattle converted those, they scored.

Baldwin’s five catches for 66 yards and a touchdown capped a week where the focus was never on the Seattle wide receivers unless it was to doubt their ability, as Kavitha Davidson of Bloomberg.com reported last week.

The incoming crop of wide receivers in the 2014 NFL draft is pretty deep, as is free agency, but Baldwin showed once again he is always open and always able to make the big play.

Plenty of NFL teams are desperate for that ability and that reliability.

Baldwin is a restricted free agent, meaning any offer he gets can be matched by the Seahawks or let him go in return for a chance at a compensatory draft pick.

If there is anything which could drag his price down, it’d be that, but as of Sunday he’s earned himself a pay increase.

Clinton McDonald, Defensive Tackle, Seattle Seahawks

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

If you didn’t know who Seattle defensive tackle Clinton McDonald was before the game, you must have afterwards.

McDonald was involved in two fumbles (one of which he recovered in the fourth quarter) and found himself around the football and ball-carrier throughout the game.

While not high on the list of free-agent defensive tackles, McDonald showed enough all season (and Sunday night) to make him a good, inexpensive option for teams looking for a run-stuffer with a nose for the ball.

McDonald will still be relatively cheap, even if his play in the Super Bowl made him a little less cheap.

Andrew Garda is a member of the Pro Football Writers Association. He is also a member of the fantasy football staff at FootballGuys.com and the NFL writer at CheeseheadTV.com. You can follow him at @andrew_garda on Twitter.