Tony Romo has developed a reputation for being able to predict the future since he began working as an analyst for CBS, and New England Patriots fans are hoping their team’s offseason will play out the way Romo envisions.
After the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, Romo said he believes the AFC is going to be “loaded” in 2021. He mentioned all the salary cap space the Patriots have and predicted that Bill Belichick will find a way to build a contending team.
“[The Bills] will be back next year. The AFC is going to be loaded. New England is going to get back in this thing,” Romo said, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “I have a feeling, Belichick, with that much salary cap, they’ll find a way to come back in this thing.”
The Patriots have about $60 million in salary cap space heading into the offseason. For reference, Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said Monday that he feels his team is in a good spot with roughly $15-20 million to spend. As many as half of the teams in the NFL are currently over the cap, meaning they will have to make significant roster moves just to free up money.
Of course, a lot of those teams have a solidified starting quarterback. The Patriots desperately need an answer at the QB position, which will undoubtedly be the theme of their offseason. There has been speculation that they could trade for a Pro Bowl quarterback, but Belichick might be unwilling to give up the draft capital needed to make a move like that.
Belichick certainly has the freedom and money to reshape his roster. New England still finished 7-9 this season even with Cam Newton playing horribly. It’s easy to see why Romo has faith in Belichick given the situation.
