Obviously the Pats have to walk a fine line here after the whole Hernandez thing, but in terms of the player Collins is, I think he could possibly be a day one starter at left guard. His aggressive playing temperament is certainly a perfect fit for what they want (and need) out of that spot.
I don’t know how much Shaq and Jackson will bring to the party. One of them will hopefully take the right guard spot immediately. But I am not sure I see a real good left guard option on the roster outside of bringing back Connolly…which would be fine.
But putting Collins in the mix would really make for an incredibly promising young trio of inside linemen, something they need more than anything else on offense.