trophies Marshon Lattimore Jersey , plaques and awards from his college days. Probably more than he realizes.So far, his biggest NFL honor can't be hung or placed on a shelf.Mayfield was humbled by compliments made toward him by Saints star quarterback Drew Brees, who believes the Browns rookie is destined for fame.On Wednesday, Brees gushed when talking about Mayfield."I think he can be a lot better than me," Brees said. "He's got all the tools. He's more athletic. He probably can run around better. He's got a stronger arm."Mayfield was moved by the praise."Yeah, it doesn't get much higher than that," Mayfield said following practice. "That's one of the greatest to play of all time. That's the guy that I've had an unbelievable amount of respect for and looked up to just because of where I'm from first and then size and story as well. So I've always enjoyed watching him."Mayfield hopes to meet Brees for the first time Sunday as the Browns (0-0-1) visit the Saints (0-1), who lost their home opener 48-40 to Tampa Bay last week.For now, Mayfield is Cleveland's No. 2 quarterback, waiting his turn behind starter Tyrod Taylor. The Heisman Trophy winner grew up in Texas patterning his game after Brees, who entered the league with far less fanfare and minimal expectations following a storied career at Purdue.The knock on Brees coming out of college was that he was too short to succeed in the pro game. He'd be swallowed in the pocket and there was no way he'd be able to see receivers, never mind complete passes.Well, all Brees has done on the way to numerous Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl title, is become one of just three quarterbacks to surpass 70,000 yards passing.The Hall of Fame awaits.And while Mayfield appreciated Brees' comments Authentic Wil Lutz Jersey , they'll only be words if he doesn't produce."It's really cool. It's humbling, but unless I go to work every day, then it's not going to matter," he said. "Expectations are one thing, but you've got to do your own. Got to do your own."Brees' remarks also caught the attention of Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry."You're talking about, especially me being from Louisiana, Drew's a G.O.A.T.," Landry said. "He's the guy. For him to say that, that's one of the highest praises you can get from one of the guys that is tremendously respected around the league and around the world. So that's huge."Of course, Mayfield can't do much about building a legacy on the sideline.The Browns are taking a slow-is-better approach with Mayfield, whom they believe is their QB of the future — not the present.Barring an injury, Mayfield won't play this week against the Saints. And unless something changes dramatically soon, the Browns intend to have Mayfield sharpen his skills during practice until they feel he's ready to start.That's been the plan since March, when Cleveland traded for Taylor, who led Buffalo to the playoffs last season.Browns coach Hue Jackson said he won't be swayed to change direction by the early success the New York Jets have had with Sam Darnold Youth Patrick Robinson Jersey , the No. 3 overall pick. Darnold shook off throwing an interception that was returned for a TD on his first attempt and completed 16 of 21 passes for 192 yards and two TDs in a rout of Detroit on Monday night."I like our young quarterback a lot, but it didn't change my mind on anything," Jackson said. "Baker's been really good in practice. I think he's still growing. The thing I love, he's so engaged in what we're doing. That is a fist bump to him because I'm sure it's tough."I'm sure he wants to play. Any competitor wants to. At the same time, I think he's ready. He's preparing himself week in and week out on what it takes to play. And when his day comes, he's going to go out there and play well. I keep saying that. Do not know when it is, but when it does happen, he will play well."Taylor's 15 of 40 performance last week against Pittsburgh sparked some debate as to whether the Browns were handling their QB situation — and Mayfield — correctly."The most important thing is that he's our future," Jackson said. "If he is, we don't have to rush this thing. When everybody saw the numbers last week, everybody wanted to go, 'OK, Tyrod is out. Let's go the other way.' Let's slow down a little bit here. Let's get this thing going. Week 1, here we go to Week 2. Let's see if we can improve on offense and play better."Why the New Orleans Saints Could Win it All, Part I: Offensive Line Bringing back a series of pieces from the past two years Cheap Mark Ingram Jersey , we’re going to check each position group on the New Orleans Saints and discuss how they improve the Saints’ chances of making a run in 2018. Let’s start with the offensive line...Pro Football Focus ranked all NFL offensive lines following the 2017 season, and the Saints came in 9th overall:Long-time New Orleans Saints staple Zach Strief won’t be back with the Saints in 2017, and unfortunately, the Saints were not able to retain Senio Kelemete who signed with the Houston Texans via free agency.So here’s why they’re better in 2018:Bill Streicher-USA TODAY SportsFirst things first, the New Orleans Saints have a relatively young offensive line outside of Max Unger. Terron Armstead is still in his prime (albeit he remains a consistent injury risk concern). Larry Warford is only 26, and he surprised many with his level of production in New Orleans. Andrus Peat continues to develop and 2017 1st Round Pick Ryan Ramczyk was one of the steals of the entire draft last year.The main reason the Saints offensive line should be better in 2018 is that this young core should continue to grow and improve year after year. While the losses of Strief and Kelemete could hurt, Strief was injured for almost the entirety of the 2017 regular season. Kelemete was the back-up who stepped up in 2017, so it is primarily that depth that will be missed.The Saints re-signed long-time Saint Jermon Bushrod to come in and provide that depth on the offensive line, and the Saints drafted two intriguing offensive line pieces in the 2018 NFL Draft: Rick Leonard (4th Round) and Will Clapp (7th Round). Leonard and/or Clapp both have an outside chance of seeing meaningful snaps in 2018. If Armstead is able to play a full 2018 season (Armstead hasn’t played more than 13 games in a single season since 2014), and we see the growth from players like Ramczyk and Peat that we expect, the Saints’ offensive line could improve from just the top half of units in the NFL, but to one of the very best.
