I was poking around Deadspin this evening catching up on mockery and humor in sports and came across a most interesting piece of work at a site called End Zone Buzz. It is certainly an interesting take on a hot-button issue here. I wish I had thought of looking into this first, but credit goes to Kyle Smith of End Zone Buzz for this discussion comparing Vince Young to our very own Alex Smith. I won't copy the entire article but will highlight some of the high points and I definitely encourage you to check out the entire article.
Basically, while Vince Young has praised heaped upon him and Alex Smith is considered a big, fat bust by many people, they're not all that far apart statistically over their brief careers.
Completion Percentage
Vince Young: 56.5%
Alex Smith: 54.4%
Yards
VY: 4,231
AS: 4,679
Touchdown Passes
VY: 19
AS: 19
Interceptions
VY: 29
AS: 31
Passer Rating
VY: 66.8
AS: 63.5
Rushing Yards/Rushing TDs
VY: 895/10
AS: 339/2
The most interesting comment (which of course must be taken in the context of the situations) regards a fun little comparison of Smith to John Madden's favorite quarterback EVER:
Nobody's suggesting Alex Smith will be Brett Favre or that Vince Young is a bust. It's just curious that when you look a the two situations with a discerning eye, 550 rushing yards seem to be the difference between bust and Pro Bowler.
As Kyle said, we can't just say Smith will be a superstar, Vince Young will suck and that's that. However, it is certainly something worth considering. I certainly don't think Alex Smith will be turning into Brett Favre, and as I've said before, I think he has a good chance of being a very solid but not spectacular quarterback in this league. In comparing VY and Smith, there are a multitude of factors to consider, including the running game VY brings to the table and a veteran coach in Jeff Fisher.
So, check out the article when you get a chance.