Tomlin says Steelers have plan when Bell is suspended -- DeAngelo Williams

Good morning on Day 2 from the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix…

Mike Tomlin met with the national media this morning at the AFC coaches breakfast and offered little new about the situation involving Troy Polamalu.

“We’re going to wait and see,” is all Tomlin would say about his eight-time Pro Bowl safety, who is not part of the team’s plan for the 2015 season.

But Tomlin offered some other thoughts about players and aspects of the team projecting to next season:

On the possibility of playing the first two games of the regular season without RB Le’Veon Bell, who is expected to be suspended for violating the league’s drug policy on a marijuana charge: “We’ll be prepared to move on without him for whatever time is necessary. The acquisition of DeAngelo Williams helps us in that regard.”

On DeAngelo Williams, who was the only outside free agent signed by the Steelers: “This guy is an NCAA 6,000-yard rusher. That’s a small fraternity.”

On how Williams fits in as a backup to Bell: “Over the last seven years, he shared the workload with another talented runner (Jonathan Stewart). His experience lends itself to our team makeup.”

On Dri Archer, last year’s third-round pick who was eventually replaced as a kick returner, getting a shot to do it again: “We’re going to give him a chance to be a horse in that field again.”

On how the defense will look under new coordinator Keith Butler: “I imagine it’s not drastically different [in appearance], but I hope it changes.”

On the continued production of the offense, which ranked second in the NFL in 2014: “They’re capable of being the very best because we got the goods. We got guys who know what they’re doing.”

On being a member of the league’s competition committee: “I like having a stake in it. I like working on the game. I believe I have an obligation to give back and that’s a venue to do that.”

On the impact of young LBs Jarvis Jones, Ryan Shazier, Vince Williams and Sean Spence working out with James Harrison during the offseason in Phoenix: “I think it’s immeasurable. I think James is coming to realize he’s playing alongside a generation of guys who grew up watching him, and for them to get the opportunity to get behind the curtain, if you will, and see how he puts it together, how he prepares, how he gets himself physically and mentally ready to do it, to do it alongside him is really special.”