Is Be7 good enough in Ruy Lopez black or too passive?

Hi there, a few months ago I started playing the Ruy Lopez for black by stepping over to 1...e5 instead of my 1...c6.

But everytime I end up in a Ruy Lopez I really hate my knight being pinned on f6 so I always end up Be7 instead of something stronger like Bc5.

My question is this: are Be7 lines too passive in the Ruy Lopez?

There are thousands of games in database involving titled players, so think will do for club players like you and I.

The bishop goes to e7 in most Ruy Lopez lines, excluding a few: The Classical, the Moeller, the Smyslov, occasionally the Open and the Arkhangelsk, and the Neo-Arkhangelsk (named by some the Yurtaev variation). Plus a few more...

Your definition of "passive" is?

The bishop goes to e7 when it's optimal to go there...

I see, passive is more the idea that I am too scared to play Bishop c5 and just play Be7 to prevent any future pins or playing h6-g5.

Thanks for your response!

Perhaps it would be helpful to look at Starting Out: Ruy Lopez by IM John Shaw (2003).

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627024240/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen53.pdf

It's a standard move in the Ruy Lopez.