Great analysis, John! I love your thought process.
I have put together both sets and the Leaf set is WAY more difficult to complete. There are a few SP's that are simply a bear to find in any condition and you will pay more than book value for them. Also some of the stars (Bednarik and Nomelini for example) are SP's and very expensive.
Note that the Leaf cards are often a bit oversized. This has led to many trimmed cards showing up in the hobby and mistakenly being given a number grade by PSA / SGC. Be very careful when buying Leafs as there are a lot of trimmed cards floating around out there.
In terms of look, I like them both for different reasons! I applaud Leaf for taking a stab at color even if the photos look like they were painted by a four year old. But I also like the classy, simple design of the 48 bowman set. Particularly when well centered! Most of mine are raw but this is one I saw in an auction and had to have.
jeff