NFL insiders rank Nick Foles as the 15th best starting quarterback

There's no NFL offseason activity people love more than to rank things. That's mostly because there's really nothing else better to do while we all wait for training camp to start in late July.

So with that said ESPN's Mike Sando gathered a group of "league insiders" to create rankings of every starting quarterback in the NFL. The panel consisted of eight general managers, two former GMs, four pro personnel evaluators, seven coordinators, two head coaches, two position coaches and a top executive. These insiders assigned each QB a grade from 1 (best) to 5 (worst). The rankings were compiled into an average and the quarterbacks were divided into tiers.

Here's how Philadelphia Eagles QB Nick Foles ranked (via In$ider).

15. Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles (2.56 average rating, Tier 2)

Foles just made the bottom of the second tier, even though three evaluators put him in the fourth tier, including one GM who called him "a four who played like a two" last season.

Another GM boldly placed Foles in the first tier based on what he saw last season. He kept Foles there upon additional reflection, but his was an outlying view.

Most wanted to see more. We've seen Matt Cassel and other QBs flash for a season or two before fading away. Still, the evaluators most familiar with Foles liked his future. When asked about the Cassel comparison, they thought Foles had a much better arm. But others wondered if part of one season wasn't enough to go on. "Foles could be like a Kerry Collins or Jake Delhomme, a three who plays like a two or four," one evaluator said.

Not a lot of love for Foles here. By simple definition alone (15 out of 32), it's clear these insiders see Foles as an average starting quarterback. Quite a few seemed to think Foles played above his head. I wouldn't say it's unreasonable for them wanting to see more. Sando did note some are optimistic about Foles moving forward.

Foles ranked as the third best QB in the NFC East. Dallas Cowboys starter Tony Romo and New York Giants signal caller Eli Manning (aka the NFL's most overpaid player) both ranked 8th. Like Foles, they both finished in Tier 2. Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III finished as the lowest in the division. He ranked tied for 19th in Tier 3.

All of the quarterbacks that finished ahead of Foles include: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Andrew Luck, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Ryan, Tony Romo, Russell Wilson, Eli Manning, Joe Flacco, Matthew Stafford, and Colin Kaepernick. Some notable quarterbacks that rank below Foles include Cam Newton, Jay Cutler, Alex Smith, Andy Dalton, Robert Griffin III, Carson Palmer, Sam Bradford, and Ryan Tannehill.

What do you think of how Foles was ranked?