Vince Young?!

My first reaction to the signing of Vince Young, announced mid-Monday, was something along the lines of "What the $*%^?!"

While perhaps uncharitable, a few days and some ruminating later, my reaction basically hasn't changed. For the speed with which it happened and the total departure from character that it represents, the Young signing might be the most stunning player move in Green Bay since Ted Thompson traded up to get Clay Matthews. Here's why.

-Until Monday, Ted Thompson had never signed a veteran quarterback as Packers GM. Never. Not once. The Packers GM picked Aaron Rodgers, Brian Brohm, Matt Flynn and B.J. Coleman in the draft and signed Graham Harrell and camp guys like Matt Brown in undrafted free agency, but unless my memory is failing me hugely, this simply has not happened before. Considering that Green Bay's quarterback situation was essentially the same last season and no veteran was signed, we may take Young's signing not only as a sign that he's better than Coleman and Harrell, but that Harrell has not developed from last season to this the way the Packers thought he would.

-Young is 30. He's a veteran free agent signed to be a backup. There's slightly more precedent for this, since the Packers picked up Anthony Hargrove, Daniel Muir and Philip Merling last year (none made any kind of impact), but most members of Thompson's small free-agent group were signed to be starters. Ryan Pickett, Charles Woodson, Marquand Manuel, Brandon Chillar and Jeff Saturday were all meant to be starters. The kind of one-year, prove-it contract that Young gets, guaranteed nothing unless he makes the team, is very unusual.

-He infamously dubbed the 2011 Eagles the Dream Team, which got blown absurdly out of proportion, but it's still worth noting. Outside of Jermichael Finley, the Packers have rarely drafted or signed anybody who mouths off in the media, so it's noticeable when they pick up a guy who has done so in the past.

-Young is the anti-Aaron Rodgers in every way possible. Rodgers is massively careful with the ball; Young has thrown 46 TDs to 51 INTs. Rodgers thrives in a deep passing game, and owns a career average of 8.1 yards per attempt; Young, who apparently checks it down more often, has a YPA of 6.9. Young's career completion percentage is 57.9 (poor); Rodgers's is 65.7 (very good). However, there are a few good stats for Young. Rodgers is sacked extremely often, having twice in his career taken 50 sacks; Young's career high (through 15 games) is 25. In five years as a starter, Rodgers' lowest number of attempts is 475; Young's career high is 382. And Young has led thirteen career game-winning drives, including seven fourth-quarter comebacks. For example, this one.

-Here's one other rather stunning fact: Young was out of football last year after failing to make the Buffalo Bills, who were tootling along at the time with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tarvaris Jackson and Tyler Thigpen. None of those guys are with the team as of their 2013 training camp. When a desperate organization like the Bills thinks you can't do better than a collection of thoroughly mediocre quarterbacks, well, that's pretty damning.

I've never been a Texas fan, but watching Young destroy the USC defense by land and by air in the 2006 Rose Bowl before striding calmly in for the winning touchdown is one of my fondest football memories. Since he came to the NFL, nothing so meaningful or remotely so magical has happened with Young's career; despite two not-really Pro Bowl berths earned when starters backed out, he's muddled along as a pretty mediocre NFL quarterback. He at least used to have amazing physical talent, the moxie of a winner (he's 31-20, counting postseason) and as much raw potential as anybody. If there's anything left to be found at 30, I'd bet that McCarthy can find it. But beyond unthinking confidence in MM's quarterback-coaching abilities, this is a move that really doesn't make much sense to me.