FOXBORO, Mass. — At the first of three mandatory minicamp practices this week, Kayshon Boutte nearly made a toe-tapping grab in the back of the end zone (a nearby ref ruled he didn’t get his feet down), and Christian Gonzalez was back in his usual role as the team’s best defensive player. But the New England Patriots’ session Tuesday was overshadowed by the contracts those two players (and one rookie) still don’t have.Boutte and Gonzalez returned to Foxboro to practice with the team for the first time this spring after skipping previous optional practices amid uncertainty with their contracts. Still, their presence Tuesday suggested that holdouts may be unlikely once training camp kicks off July 25.Neither player was particularly enthusiastic about his presence, essentially explaining that they were back since the practices were now mandatory. Players can be fined for missing minicamp.“I’m here,” Gonzalez said, addressing his return to the team this week.“I wouldn’t mind being here,” Boutte said about his long-term prospects before adding, “I do want to be here.”In addition to the contract status of those two players, the other big news Tuesday was the status of second-round pick Gabe Jacas, who is the only one of the team’s nine 2026 draft picks who has yet to sign a contract. Jacas hasn’t practiced with the team since he underwent a “procedure” after the draft.“I cannot say, will not say,” coach Mike Vrabel said when asked how far behind Jacas will be as a result of missing these practices. “I do not think that is fair to anybody.”Of course, Gonzalez is the most pressing contract for the Patriots given his role and importance.The No. 17 pick in 2021 is eligible for a contract extension and skipped OTAs as he awaits a new deal that both he and the Patriots have said they want to reach. Part of the complication is that Gonzalez could reset the cornerback market, as he has an argument to become the highest-paid player in the NFL at the position. Trent McDuffie currently holds that title after agreeing to a deal worth $31 million per season with the Los Angeles Rams this offseason.“I hope so,” Gonzalez said when asked whether a long-term deal will be reached with the Patriots. “I want to be here.”Boutte, meanwhile, has a reasonable case for feeling frustrated. He has played for three different head coaches in three NFL seasons and has improved each season. Now, as he enters a contract year, the Patriots just traded for A.J. Brown, who plays Boutte’s primary role of X receiver. That will likely cut into Boutte’s playing time, and, as such, his potential earnings next offseason.“There’s only one football and five of us,” Boutte said of New England’s wide receiver corps.Boutte said it hasn’t bothered him to see his name in trade rumors, but a potential resolution remains unclear.The Patriots aren’t in a position to offer Boutte an extension after trading for Brown. But they also aren’t in a position where they have so much receiver depth that it makes sense to trade him for, say, a sixth-round pick.As for Jacas, the rookie’s absence means he’ll likely be behind when he finally returns. It also raises questions about whether the Patriots knew Jacas needed such a procedure before they drafted him.The Patriots traded up in April to select Jacas with the No. 55 pick in the second round. It remains unknown what procedure Jacas underwent.“He just had to have a procedure, and he’s not under contract,” Vrabel said. “We’re excited about Gabe, the person that he is, the play style, his production in college and all that. When that gets resolved, we’ll have him in here, and we’ll coach him. I’m sure we’ll find a way for him to help our football team.”In recent years, second-round picks have pushed for more guaranteed money, which has delayed their signings and led to missed practices. TreVeyon Henderson, the Patriots’ second-round pick a year ago, didn’t sign until mid-July but did participate in two of three minicamp practices while negotiating his contract. Vrabel didn’t say whether that was the reason for Jacas’ absence.“I do not attribute it to anything other than he is not here and that he is not under contract at this current time,” Vrabel said. “I do not want to say that there is a reason for it other than that is what it is right now.”What it means for Jacas in the big picture remains to be seen. A player missing a dozen spring practices isn’t the biggest deal in the context of a 17-game season that will extend into January (or February), especially with plenty of training camp practices still on the horizon. But it does matter a lot more for a rookie who the Patriots are expected to lean on this season. And it raises concern about how quickly Jacas will be able to help the team at the edge rusher position, where the Patriots need reinforcements.Vrabel said he has yet to work with Jacas. “We have talked, communicated and met him numerous times before the draft process. But not on the grass.”