Royce Freeman Has Good Lateral Agility At The Line Of Scrimmage

Freeman isn’t the most elusive back in the class, but he certainly displays good lateral agility around the line of scrimmage. Before he gets into space, Freeman runs deliberately and with control. He stays balanced, and this allows him to move laterally very quickly. This is a large contributor to his ability to cut back through run lanes and utilize his blocking.

He tends to lose this agility when he gets into the open field, something understandable for a back of his size, but he makes good use of it around the line of scrimmage.

In the play below, Freeman shows off his burst, anticipation, and lateral agility at the line of scrimmage. He takes the handoff, anticipates the defender, and changes direction in a hurry. He lens inside just enough to avoid the arm tackle from the defender and heads for the open field. You’d certainly like to see him finish this run tougher or try and make a move on the defender in open field, but this is overall a very nice run.