Isaiah Wynn among 3 players not spotted at Patriots practice on Thursday

With the initial roster and practice squad set, the New England Patriots returned to the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium on Thursday for their third session of the week. Attendance was solid once again, but three members of the active 53-man team were not spotted during the early media window of the session.

Among them was starting right tackle Isaiah Wynn.

Wynn, 26, is entering a contract year and has been in the headlines quite a bit this offseason. Not only did he make the move from left to right tackle, he also previously missed a week of training camp due to an undisclosed ailment.

Furthermore, the former first-round draft pick has been the subject of trade rumors. No such move has materialized just yet, leaving Wynn penciled into the starting right tackle spot at the moment. His apparent absence on Thursday, however, is not ideal for an offensive line unit that has struggled with continuity most summer.

In Wynn’s absence, either Yodny Cajuste, who himself missed one practice this week, or Justin Herron will enter the starting lineup. While Cajuste has had a solid summer and Herron offers some experience, both are downgrades at the positions.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether or not Wynn’s absence will be any more than a temporary affair — maybe as temporary as him taking the field after the first 10 minutes of practice. With the Patriots not required to release injury reports just yet, however, there might be no immediate clarity about his situation.

Also absent on Thursday were wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (collarbone) and running back Ty Montgomery (ankle). Both suffered injuries in preseason and have been out ever since; they are candidates to be moved to short-term injured reserve at one point.

The Patriots will play the Miami Dolphins in their regular season opener on Sep. 11.