Robert Saleh sees it, too.

"There's a lot of momentum going into this (season), and we all feel really good about it," Saleh told 49ers.com.

San Francisco's defensive coordinator used recent history as an indicator for how the 49ers might fare in 2018. There's no denying the team's potential, but it's also hard to see it all coming together right out of the gate. That's because building an identity takes time.

Saleh pointed to three breakout teams from the past decade.

Exhibit A: The 2012 Seattle Seahawks

Seattle figured out its identity at the end of 2011 – running the ball and defense. The team had the personnel to be dominant in both aspects. But the Seahawks still came off the blocks slow with rookie quarterback Russell Wilson under center. Seattle found itself at 4-4 following back-to-back road losses to the 49ers and Detroit Lions. But things clicked down the stretch as the Seahawks won seven of their final eight games (including each of their last five). Seattle drubbed their opponents a combined 150-30 from Weeks 14-16. Saleh, who was a defensive quality control coach in Seattle at the time, maintains that the Seahawks should have won the Super Bowl that year. They'd go on to win one the following season.

Exhibit B: The 2016 Atlanta Falcons