[Lion of High Park]

I find that escorts are useful in the early and mid games as a cheap, disposable attrition unit. As someone else here as commented, the AI doesn't seem to view escorts and frigates as a threat during a mixed fleet engagement, so they are quite useful for throwing a little extra damage into the mix. In the early game, i just throw a CSM onto an escort hull. By mid-game, I usually have escorts fitted with one beam weapon and one PDC acting as primarily a missile/fighter defense support ship.