1. I'm not seeing the prevailing sentiment that OL should be one of our bigger needs, especially OG. Given the light number of picks we have this year, I wouldn't be happy to see us use one of the top 3 picks on a offensive lineman. Even if Volmer walks, BB and Scar have invested a lot of time on McDonald and Zusevics. I would THINK that in their 3rd year in the system they would offer as much as we would suspect from any rookie.
McDonald may be a 3rd year guy, but he fell behind Donald Thomas, which wasn't a good thing. Zusevics was a rookie this year. I think you are thinking of Matt Kopa who was signed away by another team (Eagles?). In the long run, it's going to be harder to keep Vollmer than Welker. As some people have pointed out, there will probably be a team (KC) who gives him LT money. The Pats aren't likely to do that. Not with his injury history.
2. I HAVE a dream. And I can't seem to get it out of my head. So in order to make this dream come true I'm going to have to sacrifice a little on the offense and go with Heat's maxim of signing Edelman and let Welker walk and hope we can get 80% of his production at 20% of the cost. THEN we can afford to re-sign Volmer and I get to have my dream come true and see a Connolly, Cannon, Volmer Gronk right side, which will have DL's begging for mercy in the run game.
From the fan perspective, Connolly's best position is center. I think the team kept Wendell there for continuity purposes once Connolly returned from being injured. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. I could see the Pats moving Connolly to Center, Cannon playing either RG or RT, a draft pick playing the other position that Cannon isn't in.
3. Position wise, those top 3 picks should be used exclusively on the DL, DB, ,and WR in no particular order.
I'll agree with you on DB and WR. I don't agree about the DL. That is, of course, unless BB has settled on going back to the 3-4 as their full-time base. And he could do that given the addition of Armstead. Of course, that would also depend on Belichick being happy having Deaderick as the full-time LDE. If that isn't the case, then they'll stick with the 4-3 and they have plenty of D-linemen. Going into camp they'll have Wilfork, Love, Deaderick, Forston, Pryor, Armstead and Robertson for DT. At DE, they'll have Jones, Ninkovich, Francis and Cunningham. They could also have Vega if he's released from his CFL contract.
With Fletcher and Tarpinian added to Hightower, Mayo, and Spikes, the Pats have a pretty solid LB corps for the 4-3, though it's not spectacular and they would have to run Spikes and Hightower off in favor or Fletcher for coverage, unless they added someone.
I think that they do need to add a CB because I don't see Arrington being retained. He wasn't all that on special teams this year and he's been declining as a CB unless he's playing press in the STAR position.
I also wouldn't be surprised to see the Pats add a taller safety. Someone who might be able to cover the taller TEs. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Pats sign a ton of UDFA to realy put the pressure on the fringe players like Pryor, Wendell, McDonald, Ebert, Tarpinian, Danny Aiken. I wouldn't be surprised if 3-4 of the UDFA were WRs..