A high-powered offense run by Manuel, Cassel or Taylor? Yes, I can hear the snickers. But we should remember that doubters also wondered whether Alex Smith or Colin Kaepernick could play well in Roman's offense in San Francisco. Smith had struggled as a starter prior to Roman's arrival with the Niners, exhibiting questionable confidence and judgment. In addition, he didn't appear to have the "big arm" needed to push the ball downfield, a fault that appeared to limit the team's big-play ability in prior systems. He then went on to have one of his best seasons as a pro in 2011, throwing for 3,144 yards and 17 touchdowns against five picks while helping San Francisco reach the NFC title game. Kaepernick, meanwhile, was an unknown commodity when he took over in the middle of his second season -- and yet, the ultra-athletic playmaker guided the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII directing an offense that featured the quarterback as a complementary player in a run-first offense.