But you replace any of those players with a 'game manager' and the teams are mediocre.

Cam Newton took a decent Auburn team to NC winners
Look at Oregon without Mariota, good yeah, but not the same caliber
NIU without Jordan Lynch is a run-of-the-mill MAC team

Jameis Winston isn't the same story, he was on the most dominant team in a generation. A good QB could've done the same things

A QB is the most important position, and a great one will make a good team great