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no reason to believe that your church fathers that you cite are not the same people Paul is referring to

No reason to believe that they are either. The truth is that the early Christians left us a great deal of material, some of it heretical and some -- not. To attach a single verdict to all of them is absurd. Often an authority is accepted but partly, such as Origen or Tertullian. Still, there is a core of thinkers who formed the mind of the Church in 2-3cc and that is the same Church that also produced the Canon of scripture, so if you believe in the scripture you better believe in what they wrote at least where they express views held catholically (i.e. commonly).

there is no evidence of Apostolic succession in the scriptures

Sure there is. "Go ye teach every nation"; "Do this in memory of me", "He who hears you hears me", "I send you as my father sent me", "How can they preach unless they are sent?", "do not impose your hands lightly on any man" -- any of that sound familiar?

Still, there is a core of thinkers who formed the mind of the Church in 2-3cc and that is the same Church that also produced the Canon of scripture, so if you believe in the scripture you better believe in what they wrote at least where they express views held catholically (i.e. commonly).

No, we need not believe them- at least not with the force of the Holy Scriptures themselves. We certainly take their words under advisement. We can also treat them with respect, even as we may respect Luther and Calvin without necessarily adhering to every concept that comes from their mouths.

The point of contention, I believe, comes partly from this: That the Roman Catholics insist on reverence toward their traditions that we do not impart even to our own traditions.

The Protestant mind uses such works for guidance, surely, but discernment is left to the beholder, and is not ultimately left in the hands of the church- In the great bazaar of Protestantism, there is always another church to flee to; one that holds to views which more closely mirror one's own interpretations.

While this does indeed defeat the homogeneity the RCC desires- namely one in which the RCC is the only, and monolithic church, it also neatly prevents heresy from any ability to triumph totally, it having to survive in a multitude of environments rather than usurping power from a singular leadership.

I would submit that such diversity could be a Divine construct.