FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Some sights and soundbites from the Patriots-Saints joint practices the last two days:

1. Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez remembers his first training camp in 2010, and this isn't anything like it. No more double sessions. "With all the new rules, I love it," he said. "It’s saving me. Two practices beats up on your body." Hernandez has looked sharp early in camp.

2. While the Patriots are likely to adopt a committee-type approach at running back, it looks as if Stevan Ridley is the top candidate to fill the biggest part of the void created with BenJarvus Green-Ellis signing with the Bengals in free agency. Ridley split out wide in Wednesday's practice, which he said was something different than what he's done in the past.

3. Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski on the record crowds at training camp: "The fans are unbelievable. We can’t thank them enough. They give you the extra energy boost going in. When you’re lousy for a moment, they get loud, they get excited and they get you going too."

4. Saints quarterback Drew Brees said "it worked out very well" for the team to come right from Sunday's Pro Football Hall of Fame Game to joint practices with the Patriots. One reason: "We like getting out of that humidity down in New Orleans. To come up here and get a fresh outlook, it's almost like a scrimmage-type atmosphere each day."