FOXBORO, Mass. — After one downfield completion from Drake Maye at the second practice of the spring, New England Patriots offensive lineman Morgan Moses hollered in the direction of rookie Caleb Lomu. Lomu, 21, the player the team traded up to draft with the 28th pick in the first round, is expected to one day replace Moses at right tackle.But Moses wasn’t mad. He was pumped.Moses had just spoken with Lomu, clearly giving him some sort of instruction, and the youngster did exactly as he was told. Moses, 35, who is entering his 13th NFL season, embraced the rookie.Wednesday’s practice at the New Balance Athletics Center wasn’t a time for the offensive linemen to stand out. For now, physical contact is limited, and players don’t wear pads. So it’s not like the moment suggests Lomu is destined for greatness as a bookend tackle (with Will Campbell) who will protect Maye for years to come.But it was a window into a relationship that the team hopes will help Lomu adapt this season. Lomu is expected to take the majority of his practice snaps at right tackle, while mixing in a few at left tackle.“I’m excited about where he’s at,” coach Mike Vrabel said of the rookie. “Where he’s going to eventually be, I don’t think I can answer that right now.”Here’s what we learned at the first open spring practice of the 2026 season.Christian Gonzalez situation ramps upWednesday’s practice was defined as much by who wasn’t there (Christian Gonzalez, Kayshon Boutte and, of course, A.J. Brown) as it was by who was.But the absence of Gonzalez is the most notable, given that we suspected Boutte may not be present.Gonzalez, 23, is eligible for a contract extension after another stellar year and a terrific performance in the team’s Super Bowl loss. He has said he wants to stay in New England. The Patriots have said they want him back.In all likelihood, the two sides will get a long-term deal done. It might eclipse $30 million per year.But until that agreement is reached, Gonzalez may sit out optional practices like Wednesday’s. That ups the pressure on the Patriots to get a deal done with one of their cornerstone players.“I’m not going to get into specifics about everybody’s whereabouts,” Vrabel said when asked about Gonzalez’s absence. “I love the communication that I’ve had with everybody. … Whenever he’s out on the practice field, we’ll be able to coach him.”Without Gonzalez or fellow cornerback Carlton Davis on the field, the Pats leaned Wednesday on a young secondary, which featured rookie fifth-round pick Karon Prunty intercepting Maye.“I left the out route inside,” Maye said, explaining the turnover.Kayshon Boutte’s status Kayshon Boutte’s name has popped up in trade speculation as he has sat out voluntary workouts and practices this offseason, and with the Pats seemingly poised to trade for A.J. Brown next week.Boutte hasn’t said anything about his reason for skipping sessions — which, again, are voluntary — but it’s not a reach to speculate that Boutte may be frustrated about the team adding players (like Brown and Romeo Doubs) who could cut into Boutte’s playing time as he enters a contract year.At this point, it would be little surprise if Boutte were traded before the season, potentially even in the deal that is expected to land Brown.“I have a great amount of respect for Kayshon,” Vrabel said, “and watching him mature and grow through the entire time that we spent together, that’s a credit to Kayshon, that’s a credit to (wide receivers coach) Todd Downing.“The communication is, ‘Hey, how are you doing? One, you’re working hard?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, I like where I’m working out at.’ ‘OK, we’ll be here, ready to coach you when you’re here.’ That’s been very positive, and I would imagine that he would pick up where he left off and grow on the season that he had last year.”Kyle Williams’ roleWith Boutte’s status unclear, the Patriots are likely to expect more production from Kyle Williams, a third-round pick last year who finished his rookie season with just 10 catches.This offseason, the Patriots asked Williams to gain weight and improve on his cuts at the top of routes. The idea is that they may use him as more than just a straight-line, deep-threat receiver.Williams said he’s added five to eight pounds (which should put him between 190 and 193) and drew a positive review from Vrabel for the work he’s done this offseason. If Williams can take a step forward this season, he could be the team’s No. 3 receiver behind Brown and Doubs.“We always try to give players the things that they’ve done well and the things that they can try to enhance and their areas of focus,” Vrabel said. “Kyle’s strength and his ability to manage as a speed player has improved, and he’s really talking to the strength coaches. He’s embraced that idea of lifting and how critical that is for all players, but especially a younger one as a receiver. You saw him really have some great flashes last year. The other thing that’s really critical with receivers is once they can know more than one position, it really opens up their opportunities in what they can do as opposed to just being a one-position player.”