FOXBORO — Before Friday, Matthew Judon had never joined a padded Patriots practice during a contract dispute.

He practiced on a limited basis last summer — but never in pads — while his agent negotiated with Bill Belichick’s front office and ultimately reached terms on a new deal Aug. 4. This summer, Judon participated in every practice until last Monday, when he arrived in street clothes, left, returned to give the Patriots’ new personnel heads an earful and left again.

Once Judon failed to report Tuesday, it gave reason to wonder whether the four-time Pro Bowler would be seen again until a new deal was struck or he got traded. Instead, time seems — at least temporarily — to have healed Judon’s wounds while the two sides continue to seek an extension.

Judon was a full participant Friday, working in pads, individual drills and team periods over a two-hour practice where temperatures climbed into the mid-90s. His presence was the biggest story at training camp, even while the Patriots’ passing offense soared on its sharpest day of the summer.

For that progress, the Pats can mostly thank one player: DeMario Douglas.

Elsewhere at practice, Drake Maye stacked another good day, an offensive tackle overcame injury, the tight ends had butterfingers, two young cornerbacks keep flashing and Chad Ryland began to pull away with the kicking competition.

Here are the Herald’s complete practice observations:

Attendance

Foxboro, MA – New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers arrives for training camp at Gillette Stadium. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)

Absent: DL Christian Barmore

Non-participant: DB Marcus Jones, S/LB Marte Mapu, S Joshuah Bledsoe

Limited: C David Andrews

Returned: S Jabrill Peppers

Non-contact jersey: WR DeMario Douglas

PUP: WR Kendrick Bourne, LB Sione Takitaki, OL Cole Strange, C/G Jake Andrews

Notes: While Peppers returned, two other defensive backs — Jones and Bledsoe — missed their first day of practice, respectively. Like Mapu, both players watched drills from the sidelines in street clothes. Mapu practiced in more than a week. Andrews participated in the start of team drills, then ceded first-team snaps to new backup Nick Leverett.

Play of the Day

Douglas’ two-minute drill touchdown

When in doubt, find Pop.

With less than 10 seconds left in his closing two-minute drill, Jacoby Brissett ripped a seam pass through zone coverage and found DeMario Douglas for a touchdown. The throw covered roughly 20 yards, mirroring a connection the pair had during a prior 7-on-7 period. But this touchdown undoubtedly meant more: it not only capped a successful 11-play drive, but the best passing practice of training camp thus far.

Player of the Day

WR DeMario Douglas

DeMario Douglas #3 of the New England Patriots during training camp at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

Recovering from a minor hand injury, Douglas returned to team periods Thursday. On Friday, he returned to form.

The 5-foot-8 jitterbug led all Patriots pass-catchers with five receptions in team drills, including a couple touchdowns. He won deep, over the middle and on out-breaking routes. Douglas’ ability to separate instantly and threaten man-coverage made a world of difference for Brissett and Drake Maye.

QB Corner

Note: The passing stats below were tallied during competitive 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 periods only. The stats in parentheses represent the quarterbacks’ camp-long performance.

Jacoby Brissett: 16-of-26 (64-of-93, INT, 11 sacks)

Drake Maye: 10-of-14 (61-of-96, 2 INTs, 7 sacks)

Notes: One of the best practices for each quarterback this summer, and Maye’s best in pads. No question.

Patriots QB Drake Maye has best padded practice of young NFL career

Brissett led the starting offense on an 11-play touchdown drive during the final 11-on-11 period, a two-minute drill run he operated with game-like urgency and proper clock management. Overall, Brissett completed 12 of 21 passes in 11-on-11s, including a couple drops, three intermediate-to-deep completions to Douglas and a key downfield strike to Hunter Henry late in the two-minute drill. Brissett also went 4-of-5 during red-zone 7-on-7s, hitting “touchdowns” to Douglas, Osborn and Jalen Reagor.

As for Maye, he continues to live within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage no matter the setting. Of his 10 completions, two traveled longer than 10 yards through the air. He did not run a two-minute drill, but passed with better accuracy than he did earlier this week and kept his calm. In 7-on-7s, Maye’s creativity flashed, rolling right and whipping touchdown darts to Kayshon Boutte in front of the right pylon, then backup tight end La’Michael Pettway as he ran left to right across the heart of the end zone.

Maye addressed his overall conservative style after practice, saying: “Just trying to be smart with (the ball). I feel like I throw the football well down the field and still don’t feel I’ve really aired it out yet, but I think it’s coming.“

One final stat of note: zero, as in the number of sacks Brissett and Maye combined for Friday. The first time that’s happened all camp.

Studs

LG Sidy Sow

Foxboro, MA – New England Patriots Nick Leverett, Michael Jordan, Sidy Sow and Calvin Anderson on the field during training camp at Gillette Stadium. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)

The second-year lineman has taken every snap with the first-team offense at left guard in training camp and scored a win and a tie working against Keion White during 1-on-1 pass rush Friday. Sow has been one of the few reliable players for an offensive line in flux, and appears primed to build on a strong half of his rookie season.

S Jaylinn Hawkins

Hawkins continues to show he belongs in the Patriots’ safety rotation as a No. 3 or No. 4 option. He won most of his reps competing in 1-on-1 coverage drills, including two against Hunter Henry, registered a pass breakup during team periods and didn’t allow a catch over 11-on-11s.

Duds

TE Hunter Henry

Tight end Hunter Henry hauls in a pass during New England Patriots practice in Foxboro. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

The Patriots’ top tight end lost his opening three reps of 1-on-1 drills, then dropped his first target in team periods. He finished with a single catch.

CB Christian Gonzalez

A victim of the high standard he’s set for himself, Gonzalez lands here having yet to dominate any practice like a No. 1 corner. On Friday, he lost 1-on-1 reps to K.J. Osborn and rookie Ja’Lynn Polk, then allowed a touchdown to Osborn during 7-on-7s.

Offensive notes

Top targets in team drills: WR DeMario Douglas 5/6, TE Austin Hooper 2/5, WR Kayshon Boutte 3/4, RB Antonio Gibson 3/3, WR Ja’Lynn Polk 2/3, WR Jalen Reaglor 2/3
Drops: TE Hunter Henry, Hooper
1-on-1 receiving drill winners: WR Javon Baker, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, Gibson
1-on-1 receiving drill losers: Boutte, Henry
Top offensive line: LT Vederian Lowe, LG Sidy Sow, C David Andrews, RG Mike Onwenu, RT Chukwuma Okorafor

Quarterbacks

Play-by-play from Brissett’s two-minute drill: short completion to Gibson, Boutte catch on a comeback route, Henry drop, low incompletion to Boutte, Boutte catch on a stop route, incompletion to Baker, Henry catch on a deep curl route, Douglas catch on a deep out route, incompletion to Polk deflected by Marco Wilson, overthrown incompletion to Hooper, touchdown to Douglas up the seam.
Sixth-round rookie Joe Milton took the only reps afforded to a quarterback in team periods after Brissett and Maye. Thanks to a dropped pass, he went 0-of-1 with a sack over three snaps in 11-on-11s.
Bailey Zappe, who addressed reporters after practice, said he wants to remain in New England.

Running backs

Foxboro, MA – New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson runs a drill during training camp at Gillette Stadium. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)

Time will tell if Antonio Gibson can cure his fumbling woes in New England, but until then, he looks like a steal.
Gibson breezed through 1-on-1 receiving drills, then cut decisively behind an offensive line that failed to generate much push all practice. The six-foot, 228-pounder is a natural for the Patriots’ new offense.
Meanwhile, Rhamondre Stevenson led off all periods yet again for this group and enjoyed mixed results. No running back broke free for a long run, and Stevenson was stuffed a few times in 11-on-11s.
In 1-on-1 receiving drills, Stevenson went 2-0 in a couple of reps versus Raekwon McMillan, his hands looking as soft as ever.
As for third-year bruiser Kevin Harris, he struggled to separate as a receiver, but maintains a regular role on special teams, which should help him lock up a roster spot.

Wide receivers

DeMario Douglas breathed fresh life into the Patriots’ passing attack Friday. This was his first practice as a full participant in 11-on-11s and 7-on-7s, and he made life that much easier his quarterbacks
Douglas aside, Kayshon Boutte overcame a rough showing in individual drills to nab a couple touch catches during Brissett’s two-minute drill. He remains firmly on the roster bubble.
As for the rookies, Javon Baker tallied one catch in team periods. He recently practiced through a minor leg injury, but again took first-team reps late in practice, running with Brissett’s group in the two-minute drill.
Ja’Lynn Polk saw both his targets from Drake Maye, who found him on curl and return routes. Polk remains a steady eddy.
No catches for Tyquan Thornton, whose regular starting spot opposite K.J. Osborn feels shaky any time Polk or Baker show progress for a few days in a row.
JuJu Smith-Schuster went unbeaten during 1-on-1s, then failed to catch either of his targets during team periods, including one little-known corner Azizi Hearn batted away while running his route for him.

DeMario Douglas sparks Patriots’ offense in return to team drills

Tight ends

Tough day for the tight ends, starting with a shared inability to separate in 1-on-1s for Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper.
Both tight ends later dropped passes in team periods, and Hooper also saw one of his five targets get batted away. Henry secured his other pass on a deep curl route in the two-minute drill.
Third-string backup Mitchell Wilcox doubled up La’Michael Pettway in catches over 11-on-11s (two to one), but Pettway’s touchdown grab from Maye was the most impressive receiving rep either player had Friday.
Again, no sign of seventh-round rookie Jaheim Bell, who is going on a week without practicing.

Offensive line

Veteran offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, the team’s projected starter on the left side, has now logged six straight practices at his old position of right tackle. Coincidence?
Okorafor, who would form a more than respectable combination next to sterling right guard Mike Onwenu, has taken all of his snaps with the starting unit. So who’s replaced him on the blind side?
For a second straight practice, that was Vederian Lowe, who supplanted third-round rookie Caedan Wallace after four straight starts for the Penn State product.
Lowe is an unlikely candidate to start Week 1, which begs the question who could win the left tackle job if not him, Okorafor or Wallace. One name to ponder: Calvin Anderson.
Anderson, who’s taken reps at both tackle spots during training camp, suffered a lower-body injury midway through practice, then walked to the trainer’s table and eventually returned to block again in 11-on-11s.
Inside, center David Andrews started a few 11-on-11 periods before ceding his first-team snaps to new backup center Nick Leverett.
With Leverett snapping alongside the starts, that left second-year lineman Atonio Mafi snapping to Maye. And for the third practice in eight, Mafi had a bad snap.
Sidy Sow and Mike Onwenu remained at left and right guard, respectively, as they have all camp. Onwenu handled Keion White during his final rep of 1-on-1 pass rush, and false-started late in practice.

Defensive notes

Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon runs a drill as the team holds a training camp practice in Foxboro on Thursday. (Staff Photo/Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)

Starting and second-string personnel during team periods: defensive linemen Davon Godchaux, Deatrich Wise, Keion White, Armon Watts, Daniel Ekuale, Trysten Hill, Sam Roberts and Jeremiah Pharms Jr.; linebackers Matt Judon, Jahlani Tavai, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Raekwon McMillan, Josh Uche, Anfernee Jennings, Christian Elliss, Joe Giles-Harris, William Bradley-King and Oshane Ximines; defensive backs Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers, Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, Alex Austin, Jaylinn Hawkins, Isaiah Bolden, Azizi Haern, Marco Wilson and Brenden Schooler.
Interceptions: None
Pass breakups: Hawkins, Wilson, Hearn, Elliss
1-on-1 coverage drill winners: Hawkins, Hearn
1-on-1 coverage drill losers: Gonzalez, Austin
Would-be sacks: Team

Defensive linemen

Another day of dominant run defense. For the second practice in three days, the Patriots stuffed more than 40% of all hand-offs in team periods. Credit is due, first and foremost,  to the defensive tackles.
That means Davon Godchaux and Daniel Ekuale, who continue to start the 11-on-11 periods, with others rotating in.
The Patriots’ plan for replacing Christian Barmore appears to be as simple as rotating Ekuale with Armon Watts and others up front. Watts opened the second-team periods next to Sam Roberts.
Newly-signed veteran Mike Purcell participated in his first practice with the Patriots.

Linebackers

Foxboro, MA – New England Patriots linebacker Joshua Uche on the field during training camp at Gillette Stadium. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)

No ifs ands or buts: Matthew Judon was a full participant. He didn’t produce any single highlights on a run-heavy day, but his presence was constant throughout 11-on-11s and 7-on-7s.
Quiet days for Ja’Whaun Bentley and Jahlani Tavai. Tavai had an especially rough time during 1-on-1 coverage drills.
Still an underwhelming camp for Josh Uche, who lost his final 1-on-1 pass rush rep to Vederian Lowe and repped with the second-team defense.
Backup/core special teamer Christian Elliss batted Maye’s final pass of 11-on-11s at the line of scrimmage.

Defensive backs

While Jabrill Peppers returned to full participation, the Patriots had their depth at safety tested again, with no Marcus Jones or Joshuah Bledsoe (Peppers’ primary replacement Thursday) available.
In their place, the Patriots spun veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones back to free safety for several snaps, while backups like Hawkins and Schooler picked up the slack.
Schooler had a couple forceful pass breakups in 1-on-1s, but his potential as a rotational defensive player won’t be tested until he sees real run in the preseason. He repped with the second-team defense.
At cornerback, Azizi Hearn and Marco Wilson each pocketed a pass breakup and continue to fight for jobs amid up-and-down practices. Hearn went 1-of-2 in coverage, while Wilson gave up catches on two of three targets.
On a hot day, the Patriots rotated their defensive backs as much, if not more, than any other practice; which may have contributed to the starting offense’s success in team periods.

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Special teams

Chad Ryland extended his lead in the Patriots’ kicking competition, going 5-of-5 at the end of practice while veteran journeyman Joey Slye went 4-of-5. Slye missed from 37 yards out.
Both kickers rushed onto the field during the last 11-on-11 period to attempt separate hurry-up field goal attempts and made them from 45-plus yards away.
Later, they alternated four attempts apiece, kicking between 33 and 52 yards away.
Drilling full-team kickoffs, the Patriots again deployed two returners deep, with one fielding the ball and the other serving as a lead blocker.
Kick returners: Jalen Reagor, DeMario Douglas, Ja’Lynn Polk, K.J. Osborn, Antonio Gibson
Kick return team: Brenden Schooler, Josh Uche, Austin Hooper, Jalylinn Hawkins, Kevin Harris, Christian Elliss, Raekwon McMillan, Isaiah Bolden, Marco Wilson and Oshane Ximines.
Ximines, who has occasionally flashed as an edge rusher on defense, could sneak onto the roster as a core special teamer.

Extra points

Among other national media members, ex-Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan visited practice and stopped to speak with quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett, Drake Maye and Bailey Zappe afterward.
Brissett, Maye, Zappe and Joe Milton all spoke with reporters after practice.
Friday brought the hottest practice of training camp to date, with a heat index of 100 degrees at the start and temperatures reaching 95 degrees later in the day.
The Patriots will return to practice Saturday at 11 a.m. before receiving an off day Sunday.