Re: Royce isn't mediocre; he's a throwback - "Run right at 'em!"

Royce is more whump than burst. I'd keep him, and use him more where you want to wear down defenders physically or gain yards by brute force.

It's an old concept, from back in the era of leather helmets and we weren't sure whether the roundish ball was pumped up or stuffed, when football was played in the mud by men with broken teeth.

Shortly after that, think back to the days of two back sets. Vince Lombardi had Jim Taylor and Paul hornung in the same backfield. Lombardi's philosophy was to identify an opponent's D line strength, and "Run right at 'em!" He'd use Taylor to soften up a defense (or a defender) and then use Hornung's speed and athleticism to outrun the tired and battered opponents.

The idea still has some merit.

The strategic notion, "They're lined up to prevent the run, therefore (regardless of down and distance, momentum, who is beating whom at the line of scrimmage) we must pass," has its shortcomings.

Sometims when they're lined up to prevent the run, have eight in the box and safeties are playing short, if you've been winning at the line, moving them back, they're getting tired of getting thumped, and you've got the momentum, it just might pay to run again for two out of three downs and pass on a play-action or sweep-fake that looks like a run.

Sometimes, I still think, there are certain human dynamics on the field that trump reactive strategy operating in a vacuum.

We saw as much three times in a row on an opening drive recently. It made the difference between three and likely seven points on the board then, and by the final stanza, we could have used those extra four points - difference between victory and defeat., no overtime, no return TD.

Freeman can smash into and push a pile, or one member of it, for an extra yard or two - where Williams can slip through a crack. Both are useful weapns in the running back arsenal. Freeman is durable. Keep him.

Rivers is a third option and a good one, but when you have gravel to move, use a bulldozer - not a Ferrari.