These are lean roasts cut from the Round area (see main entry for “Beef Round.”) The higher up on the Round area they are cut from, the more tender they will be. But tender is a very relative word here. These are tough cuts of meat. Some people say you can get away with dry oven-roasting some Round cuts, namely Top (or “inside”) Round, Rump Roast, and Round Tip Roast, but most people would vigorously recommend against it.
This doesn’t mean to avoid Round Roasts. Far from it, many times, they will turn out more flavourful than some of the more expensive, fancier cuts. It just means you have to cook them as Pot Roasts, which will make them both flavourful and tender.
There are several varieties of Round Roasts.