The patriots have relatively few needs and 6 early picks.
I do not think that the patriot should, or will, leave an gaping holes, hoping to fill that need in free agency.
There will two offsetting effects on free agents. Some wteams will pay more, some will pay less, all depending on who they were able to get in the draft. Some teams will be quite desparate.
HOW THIS AFFECTS THE PATRIOTS
1) OT is a gaping hole, since apparently Kaczur is NOT viewed as a starter.
2) OG is a gaping hole. We have Connolly at one guard spot and Neal/Wendell at the other. We may certainly look to the OT's to find our OG. We could also look to the couple of top C/G's, but the pickings are slim among guards and centers.
3) RB is a gaping hole. We need help for Green-Ellis and Woodhead.
4) DE is a gaping hole. G. Warren is not re-signed. And we cannot count on both Ty Warren and Wright being back to 100% in 2011.
5) OLB is a want, just like every year. We have youngsters Cunningham, Spikes, Fletcher and Moore. We could see an Acho or a Beal, or not.
BOTTOM LINE
I see Belichick putting a premium on the values for DE's, OG's, OT's and RB's.
To put it another way, I would be quite satisfied in we ended the 2nd round having filled these four positions. I would be even more fine if we traded 74 and 92 to move up to 55 to draft an OLB.
Since the many possible definitions of "value" are a reliable argument starter, can we just say for the purposes of this thread that we're talking about balancing roster needs with the relative quality of players at different positions available at a given point in the draft?
Anyway...yes, this is setting up to be a very tricky draft if free agents aren't squared away. Can you afford to leave a gaping hole in your lineup, counting on securing a top FA? If everybody decides "no" and drafts more for need, will that come back to bite the veteran FAs when signings finally begin? Etc.