This could be my bias and desire shaping the narrative, but I think that as a promising young rookie you generally want them to start out and stick to the position that you want them to play.
If the Cowboys wanted the transition to be easier for Collins, they could have kept him at left guard and let him battle it out with Leary. They could have let Green and Weems fight it out at tackle until Free is ready to go.
I can't help but think that starting him out at Right Tackle early, something they know he has never done was about giving him the most amount of time to acclimate to the position and to push Free to the bench. It's hard enough to come into the league as a rookie, but to have to learn multiple positions? That's just not something you generally ask a player with a first round grade to do.
I think the best example of that is Byron Jones. There was talk about him playing safety and corner, but they've played him exclusively at corner. I think they would rather hedge on corner and at worst create better depth there than to play Jones at safety, and then last minute have a crisis at corner that he has to be thrown into. The same can be said for splitting time between the two positions.
They're playing Jones at corner in right now because that is the highest value position and it is the position that currently lacks the most depth. Does Carr take that pay cut? How will Claiborne look in training camp? Until those things are answered, Jones is most valuable at corner, despite the ideal situation playing him at safety.
I think the ideal situation may have had Collins at left guard, but tackle is certainly the more valuable position even on the right side. I hope Collins can win that spot and anchor it going forward.
