Chess players universally subscribe to the tenet of relative value for the pieces on the board. The more a given piece can do - the longer its reach, the greater its freedom of movement - the higher its value. A queen is worth more than a rook, a rook brings it more than does a bishop, etc. And when placed within certain positions on the board, or used in combination with other pieces, the relative values of the pieces increase or decrease.
A shrewd offensive coordinator applies the same principle to the football field, and specifically to the five "skill" (read: little fast guy) position players he has at his disposal on any given play.