Agent's Take: Eight players in 2019 Super Bowl who could cash in with a good game

These Patriots and Rams players are hoping to get paid like Trey Burton did after last year's Super Bowl

The signature moment of tight end Trey Burton's NFL career was completing a touchdown pass to quarterback Nick Foles (known as the Philly Special) in a fourth-and-goal situation during the Eagles' Super Bowl LII victory over the Patriots, and then he hit the jackpot in free agency last March. The Bears gave Burton a four-year, $32 million contract despite being a largely unproven commodity. Burton's deal, which made him the NFL's sixth-highest-paid tight end by average yearly salary, was worth up to $34.8 million because of $700,000 in annual incentives primarily based on individual statistical achievement. His $18 million fully guaranteed at signing is the second most in any existing tight end contract. Only one tight end, Charles Clay of the Bills, has more than Burton's $22 million in overall guarantees.

Burton's contract easily exceeded all reasonable projections for him prior to free agency considering he had spent the previous four years making the most of the limited opportunities he received playing behind Pro Bowler Zach Ertz and Brent Celek, who has retired. Cashing in after the Super Bowl without much of a track record like Burton did doesn't happen that often. However, a good Super Bowl performance can help players land lucrative contracts, especially following a solid regular season and/or an outstanding playoffs.

Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta will air on CBS and stream here on CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports App for free on most connected devices.

Here are several Super Bowl participants with expiring contracts who could reap the benefit financially when free agency begins in March.

New England Patriots

Flowers could be the most attractive young edge rusher on the open market, since Frank Clark (Seahawks), Jadeveon Clowney (Texans), Dee Ford (Chiefs) and Demarcus Lawrence (Cowboys) seem destined for franchise tags. The Patriots using their franchise designation on Flowers isn't out of the question, although the defensive end number is expected to be in the $17.3 million neighborhood.

Flowers' 7.5 sacks during the 2018 season don't quite measure up to the prime franchise-tag candidates' respective totals. His 64 quarterback pressures (combined sacks, quarterback hurries and quarterback hits) according to Pro Football Focus put him in a six-way tie for the 13th most in the NFL with Von Miller (Broncos), Geno Atkins (Bengals), Melvin Ingram (Chargers), Yannick Ngakoue (Jaguars) and Clark. Flowers had one more pressure than Lawrence and beat Clowney by five.

It wouldn't be surprising if the Super Bowl is Flowers' last game with the Patriots. New England isn't accustomed to paying the type of money currently necessary for players with the potential to consistently put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Chandler Jones was traded to the Cardinals in 2016 when he was heading into his contract year because he was never going to get type of money he was going to command from the Patriots. He signed a five-year, $82.5 million deal averaging $16.5 million per year and containing $53 million of overall guarantees in 2017 to remain with the Cardinals after receiving Arizona' franchise player designation.

From Gladys Knight's anthem to who will score first to Maroon 5 to the Super Bowl MVP, get everything you need to make the right picks for Sunday in our Ultimate Super Bowl Props guide.   

Who would protect Tom Brady's blind side was a big concern after left tackle Nate Solder took a four-year, $62 million contract with $34.8 million fully guaranteed from the Giants to briefly become the NFL's highest-paid offensive lineman. Brown was acquired from the 49ers for what was essentially a mid-fourth-round pick during the 2018 NFL draft, and Isaiah Wynn was selected 23rd overall to fill the void. Wynn tearing his Achilles in the preseason left the job to Brown, who primarily played right tackle with the 49ers.

The massive Brown, who is listed at 6-8 and 380 pounds, has been up to the task of replacing Solder. He has played his best football in the postseason. Brown has kept Pro Bowlers Melvin Ingram and Dee Ford, who led NFL edge rushers with 78 quarterback pressures this season, in check during New England's two playoff games. He has allowed only two quarterback pressures, both hurries, in the postseason.

The Patriots have established a baseline of $10.031 million per year for the left tackle position with the two-year contract extension Solder signed at the start of the 2015 regular season, when the salary cap was $143.28 million. Solder's deal equates to approximately $13.3 million per year when adjusted to the 2019 salary cap, which is projected to be right around $190 million. This figure is also consistent with the four-year, $53 million deal that had $25 million fully guaranteed the Chargers gave Russell Okung in 2017 free agency.

Financially, Brown will want to be viewed as a left tackle because of big pay disparity with right tackles. The Titans set the left tackle market with Taylor Lewan's $16-million-per-year extension. The highest-paid pure right tackle is Ricky Wagner of the Lions with a $9.5 million average yearly salary.

Brown is in an enviable position because slightly-above-average and mediocre left tackles have become valuable commodities in free agency. The five-year, $55.5 million contract Matt Kalil received from the Panthers in 2017 as a free agent containing $25 million of guarantees is prime example of mediocrity getting rewarded. Brown doesn't have a clause in his contract like Solder had, which prohibited the Patriots from designating him as a franchise or transition player. The 2019 offensive lineman franchise number is expected to be in $14.2 million range. The Patriots could decide to let Brown walk, with Wynn waiting in the wings.

Gostkowski is perfect on kicks in the postseason after converting on 84.4 percent of his field goals (27 of 32 attempts) and 49 of 50 extra point tries during the regular season. The 84.4 percent was subpar by Gostkowski's usual standards. He is the third-most-accurate kicker in NFL history with an 87.4 percent conversion rate on field goals (minimum of 100 made).

The four-year, $17.2 million deal Gostkowski signed in 2015 as a franchise player still sets the kicker market. Gostkowski could have his sights set on becoming the league's first $5-million-per-year kicker. It will cost $5.98 million for New England to franchise Gostkowski under the 120 percent of the prior year's salary rules for the designation.

Los Angeles Rams

Suh, who wasn't named to the Pro Bowl for the second-straight year, has elevated his play during the playoffs. He has looked like the player the Dolphins made the NFL's highest-paid non-quarterback in 2015 free agency on a six-year, $114.375 million contract with nearly $60 million fully guaranteed. Suh has helped anchor a run defense that has allowed only 98 yards in 43 rushing attempts for 2.3 yards per carry during the postseason. His seven quarterback pressures are the most on the Rams in the playoffs.

Suh had multiple suitors after the Dolphins released him last March. He says two teams offered him significantly more money than the one-year, $14 million deal with additional $1 million in incentives he took from the Rams for the chance to play on a Super Bowl contender. Although Suh is 32 years old, the opportunity to make more than he is with the Rams should present itself again.

Who wins Patriots vs. Rams? And which side of the spread has all the value, making it a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has returned nearly $4,000 to $100 bettors over the past two seasons!

Saffold benefited from the explosion in offensive guard salaries over the last couple of years. He will be the best guard available in free agency. An unrestricted free agent has set the guard market in each of the last three years, with Kelechi Osemele (2016), Kevin Zeitler (2017) and Andrew Norwell (2018). The streak will likely come to an end. Its continuance will require Saffold eclipsing the six-year, $84 million extension ($14-million-per-year average) containing $40 million in guarantees Zack Martin received from the Cowboys in the offseason. Unlike Osemele, Zeitler, and Norwell, the 30-year-old Saffold won't be hitting the open market for the first time. The longest-tenured Ram indicated late in the season that he is willing to take less money to stay in Los Angeles as long as he is being compensated fairly.

Obtaining Fowler at the late-October trading deadline was indicative of the Rams' "Super Bowl or bust" mentality this season. A 2019 third-round pick and a 2020 fifth-round pick were dealt to the Jaguars in hopes that Fowler would help shore up the outside pass rush.

Fowler's career never quite got untracked in Jacksonville. He tore his left ACL in Jacksonville's first minicamp practice a week after being the third-overall pick in the 2015 draft. Although Fowler had a career-high eight sacks in 2017, the Jaguars declined to pick up their fifth-year option on him for 2019. For someone who operated primarily as a situational pass rusher, $14.2 million was a pretty steep price.

Fowler wasn't a consistent pass-rushing force after his arrival in Los Angeles, but more than validated the trade against the Saints in the NFC Championship Game. His overtime hit on Drew Brees while the Saints quarterback was throwing caused the interception which helped set up the game-winning field goal. Fowler is also tied for Rams' postseason lead in sacks with 1.5.

The potential that made Fowler an early first-round pick, coupled with his performance in the playoffs, could result in him doing better than expected in free agency. Not having the fifth-year option exercised may work in Fowler's favor in a manner similar to how it did with 2014 fourth-overall pick Sammy Watkins, but not necessarily to the same degree. The wide receiver received a three-year, $48 million contract with $30 million fully guaranteed from the Chiefs last March in free agency.  

The Rams put an $11.287 million franchise tag on Joyner after he thrived during the 2017 season in his switch from slot cornerback to free safety, which he played at Florida State. Joyner hasn't quite played at the Pro Bowl level he did in 2017. A second franchise tag seems unlikely, since it would cost $13,544,400, a 20-percent increase over his current one.

The extremely soft free-agent safety market where it was difficult for anyone to get a long term deal averaging $5 million per year shouldn't extend to the crop of safeties that could hit the open market in March. In addition to Joyner, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (Redskins), Landon Collins (Giants), Tyrann Mathieu (Texans) and Earl Thomas (Seahawks) have expiring contracts.

Nobody expected Anderson to have much of an impact when the Rams made him a late season pickup at his prorated $790,000 league-minimum salary ($92,941) -- after being discarded by both the Panthers and Raiders this season -- with 2017 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Todd Gurley ailing. Anderson rushed for 299 yards on 43 carries for almost seven yards an attempt in the final two regular-season games. He gained another 123 yards on the ground in 23 carries against the Cowboys in the NFC divisional playoffs to supplement Gurley's 167 yards. Shouldering a bigger load than Gurley versus the Saints in the NFC Championship prompted speculation that Gurley's knee is still bothering him.

Anderson signing a one-year prove-it deal at his $805,000 league minimum seemed likely before his success with the Rams. Even if Gurley resumes his customary workhorse running back role in the Super Bowl, Anderson should have put himself in a position where he won't have to wait until after the draft to find a home this time around. The one-year, $1.75 million deal worth up to $2.6 million through incentives the Panthers signed Anderson to last May should be his salary floor.