Are Alex Smith and Eli Manning busts?

Answer 1

Alex Smith--definitely can't call him a bust yet. He definitely showed a lot of promise last year. At the very least, he showed last year that he's still developing and that he still has a lot of upside.

Eli Manning--now he's closer to being bust material. He's been in the NFL for a few years now, and he just hasn't seemed to improve much as a QB recently. If he doesn't look a lot better next season, it's a pretty good bet that he'll never get any better than he is right now, and I think that probably means you could call him a bust, since the expectations for him were so high.

Answer 2

I think the difference between the two players are the teams surrounding them. The 49'ers are doing more to help Alex Smith out than the Giants are doing to help Eli Manning out. Alex I think is a better talent and might actually win an NFC championship if not a Super Bowl but I don't think Eli will. He's not a bust though, I just think he'll be like his Dad, a good QB but on a crappy team.

Answer 3

I would not say Alex Smith is because he entered the league later than Manning and seems to have more potential. Alex Smith will be the Montana of the 49ers in the next few years. As for Eli, he IS a bust. He will never live up to what his dad and brother Peyton did and is doing. Eli is very inconsistant even though he has 4 years under his belt. He has and had the weapons around him as well like Amani Toomer, Plaxico Buress, and ret. Tiki Barber.

Answer 4

This upcoming season will determine if the QB's are busts or not. unlike RB's or Wide Receivers, the transition to the NFL at the QB position takes a lot more time and patience due to the overhaul of knowledge and preparation they need to take in. Alex Smith's first season was horrible, but not surprising given the fact he was a rookie QB on a horendous offensive team. Last year looked like a big improvement in his accuracy, decision making, field awareness, and knowledge of the game, although he had A LOT of help from Norv Turner and a great supporting cast.

Eli's first 3 seasons have been mixed so far. The rookie year was predicatable going 1-4 as a starter. His sophmore season was ok, he got his team into the playoffs. This last season though was a mixed result. He did have above average numbers (24 TDs to 16 INTs) but he made horrible decisions to cause his team wins ( The meltdown against the Titans and the Eagles game), barely edging them over Green Bay to make it into the playoffs solely on Tiki Barber.

This year should be defining seasons on these young QB's as to whether they can play in the NFL. Alex Smith has a great cast around him in Gore, Darrell Jackson, Vernon Davis and Ernie Conwell. Eli has Plaxico Burress, Jeremy Shockey, Steve Smith (from USC) and Amani Toomer. The running game might not be as good with Barber gone, so Eli will have to be better now that Barber is no longer a threat on offense. Bottom line is Both of these QB's have talent, its just now the time has come to prove whether they belong in the NFL. No more excuses, no more free passes, no more bit**ing about the players (mainly Eli), its time to put up or shut up.

Answer 5

No and yes.

Smith is not yet a bust. He is entering only his third year and he showed A LOT of improvement last year. He also is just starting to get a good supporting cast to help him. While I doubt he will ever be great, look for Smith to become a solid QB in the near future.

Manning, on the other hand, is a bust. He is entering his fourth season and has shown no signs of the serious talent that are supposed to accompany being selected first overall in the draft. He has never been horrible, but he has never been any thing other than average, and has often played below average. He is in the bottom half of the league in terms of skill at the QB position. In addition to his often poor play he has never shown good leadership skills or the ability to rally his teammates. His poor play is obviously a reflection of his talent, because through his career he has had an above average offensive line, good receivers, a good tight end, and one of the NFL's best running backs. He is definitely a bust.

Answer 6

Alex Smith isn't. First he is getting better, second he played for Utah, so really if you expected him to play like Montana from the start or something you were expecting too much.
Eli is OVERRATED because he is named Manning. If he was Alex Smith then he probably wouldn't be a bust, although he would also be playing for the Chargers. He IS a bust because he dictated his move to New York and hasn't lived up to forcing the trade like that.

Answer 7

I believe alex smith will improve, since he has an improving sanfransico team around him, his team was young and so was he, so he was bound to make mistakes. Eli manning on the other hand I think he is a bust. In 4 years of being in the league his performance always slipped when it really counted, like when it was later in the season. He had one playoff appearance against the panthers, but he choked in that too.

Answer 8

Alex Smith had a pretty good season compared to his first year.. I believe he is going to keep improving as the season go by and potienly be one of the greats. plus with all the weapsons and youth around him. he has the ability to bond with them for the next few years.. Eli i dont believe was or is a bust either. Just the hype that he has to live up to with is brother now winning the superbowl and being has good as he is.. then the his dad archie manning who played for the saints he just has alot of pressure to deal with . and also look at his team.. grant it giants are always a contender for there division but there lettin pple go left and right and i still dont believe they are filling in the positons they need.

Answer 9

Eli is but Alex is not! Look how he progressed in college and look at him make that same progression in the pros! Skies the limit for Alex Smith but the limits the sky for Eli

Answer 10

they were both not worthy of the number one pick, but i woudn't call them busts yet. eli has more talent, and i can understand why he was #1, and alex smith is in a good system. alex will probably have a better career