"Having him as an offensive threat, his addition is going to make it easier on the whole team," Houston said.

How do you take your best offensive threat off the field at any time?

At the time, he ranked second among Tech's career passing leaders, and was considered to be an offensive threat.

The question is this: Can he become a consistent offensive threat?

They've always got a better offensive threat than you do.

So, especially earlier in the season, Rice wondered if the 49ers still viewed him as their best offensive threat.

He was his team's only offensive threat and may have tried to do too much.

Good defense no longer was enough; a catcher had to be an offensive threat, too.

"I think they're both the same offensive threat, which is not much," Thomas said with a laugh.

"But, for whatever reason, he decided to be an offensive threat."