2016 NFL Free Agency: Post-Super Bowl Stock Watch

Workers are still sweeping up confetti after that defensive Super Bowl 50 affair, but there is no time like the present to look at the future of the NFL.

Free agency is just around the corner, after all, and there will be plenty of movement this offseason. We'll get things kicked off with some lighter fare—a look at 10 free agents who boosted or sank their stock during the postseason.

Stock Down: Adam Jones, CB, Cincinnati Bengals

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Soul-crushing penalty. Obtuse injury denial. Begrudging apology. What more could you do to hang an albatross on your own value?

Adam Jones was Cincinnati's best cornerback last season. He was the rated the 13th-best corner in the entire league, according to Pro Football Focus, allowing just one touchdown in 2015. None of that helped him keep his cool when it counted the most.

Jones drew a morbid penalty in the waning moments of the Bengals' wild-card tilt against the hated Steelers, allowing Pittsburgh to kick a far shorter field goal for the win.

That was bad enough, but his obtuse disbelief that Steelers wideout Antonio Brown had suffered a concussion was embarrassing. 

Stock Up: Josh Norman, CB, Carolina Panthers

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Batman is about to become Bruce Wayne.

Josh Norman fancied himself a superhero this season, and he was just that for the Panthers. Though he was mortal at times, Carolina's cornerback was one of the best in the league.

He certainly didn't wilt in the postseason.

Norman blanketed his charge like he was made of velcro, allowing scant few statistics to opposing receivers. He did allow a touchdown against the Seahawks, per Pro Football Focus, but Norman was darn good the rest of the way.

That includes a marvelous Super Bowl performance that was utterly overshadowed by the dominance displayed by the opposing defense.

Norman's postseason performance was confirmation that he deserves to get paid this offseason.

Stock Down: Ronnie Hillman, RB, Denver Broncos

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Averaging 1.7 yards per carry in the playoffs is no way to endear yourself to the free-agent market.

Not that Ronnie Hillman had done much for himself during the regular season. He got every opportunity to become the lead back in Denver, only to falter down the stretch and let C.J. Anderson back into the saddle. 

Hillman was downright awful in the postseason, eliciting groans whenever the Broncos let him spell his far more effective running mate. He gained exactly zero yards in the Super Bowl, while Anderson went for 90 and Denver's only offensive touchdown.

It's not going to be a pretty offseason for his agent.

Stock Up: Sean Smith, CB, Kansas City Chiefs

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The Kansas City Chiefs were awful at defending wide receivers early in the season. Then Sean Smith returned from suspension.

The big cornerback teamed up with Defensive Rookie of the Year Marcus Peters to right the ship and turn that secondary from one of the worst to one of the best in the league.

Smith's playoff performance was up and down. He was great against the Houston Texans, intercepting a pass and helping hold star wideout DeAndre Hopkins to 69 yards receiving. Nice.

He allowed a touchdown to New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski in one-on-one coverage, but how many cornerbacks can claim victory over Gronk?

Smith only allowed one other reception that game, per Pro Football Focus, capping a nice year with another good performance. He should be getting plenty of looks in free agency if the Chiefs don't book him to an extension first.

Stock Down: Mike Harris, OG, Minnesota Vikings

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Not all free agents are big names. Mike Harris qualifies as such.

Who is Mike Harris, you ask? Only a converted offensive guard who became a rock for the Minnesota Vikings this season.

Unfortunately for Harris and the Vikings offense, there was nothing doing during the Wild Card Ice Bowl against Seattle.

That Seahawks defense was tough, so Minnesota's inability to run wasn't a big surprise. Harris didn't exactly stand out in a positive way, though, as evidenced by running back Adrian Peterson's rushing average of two yards per carry.

Stock Up: Jeremy Lane, CB, Seattle Seahawks

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The Seahawks got progressively better on defense as the season went on, and Jeremy Lane's return had plenty to do with it. 

Lane bolstered a cornerback corps that was exploitable opposite Richard Sherman. Pro Football Focus rated him in the middle of the pack among his peers, despite him coming off that nasty Super Bowl injury and playing just 356 snaps.

The four-year veteran shined in the postseason, particularly against the Minnesota Vikings. Lane was a major factor in Seattle's suffocating pass defense—though the sub-zero temperatures certainly helped—as the Seahawks allowed just 146 yards passing.

Lane's performance against the Panthers wasn't nearly as good, but who among that defense could say he performed well while giving up 31 points in a half?

Stock Down: Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington

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In an unexpected twist, Kirk Cousins became the face of the franchise in Washington in 2015. Now the team is going to have to pay him.

Unfortunately, what we saw from him in the playoffs was a bit of a red flag.

Cousins fumbled the ball three times and threw just one touchdown in a 35-18 loss to the Packers. His performance highlighted the reality that he didn't face many quality opponents in 2015, a fact that will surely make its way into the negotiating room.

Fortunately for him, Washington has nowhere else to turn. He was good enough to win the NFC East—terrible as that division was—and allow his team to move on from his broken predecessor. His postseason performance probably won't affect his offer much, though he might wind up getting the franchise tag.

Stock Up: Eric Berry, S, Kansas City Chiefs

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The feel-good story of the year was perfectly timed for Eric Berry.

His Comeback Player of the Year award was well-deserved, considering his triumphant return from a cancer diagnosis. Berry bolstered the Chiefs defense and was a big part of an 11-game winning streak that vaulted his team to the playoffs.

Berry had a great season, ranking fourth among all safeties, according to Pro Football Focus. He was huge in Kansas City's win against Houston, including an interception that started an avalanche.

Stock Down: James Jones, WR, Green Bay Packers

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This should come as no big surprise, but James Jones did himself no favors with an abysmal postseason. 

True, he caught seven passes for 87 yards against Washington, but that wasn't particularly impressive, given the sorry state of Washington's secondary.

More important was the fact Jones was utterly eliminated from the game when the Packers took on the Cardinals. Arizona stuck cornerback Patrick Peterson on Jones and forgot about him, and Jones failed to register a single reception. 

Combine that with a mediocre second half of the season and a pedestrian showing in Oakland in 2014, and the 31-year-old could find his list of suitors nonexistent this offseason.

Stock Up: Von Miller, OLB, Denver Broncos

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He can rush the quarterback better than just about everyone. He can stick with receivers in man coverage. He can drop into a zone and pick off the quarterback. He can leap tall buildings in a single bound.

Von Miller may not be Superman, but he was super for the Broncos during arguably the most dominant defensive performance in postseason history.

Miller annihilated the opposition, saving his best for last. A Super Bowl MVP was the icing on the cake of an incredible game for the pass-rushing phenom.

He was going to command a massive contract regardless, but Miller might have been earning extra dollar bills every time he got to the quarterback during the playoffs. Too bad he won't likely hit the open market. If the Broncos don't sign him to a huge extension, the franchise tag is coming for him.