Steelers' James Conner: Could get carries Sunday

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he's comfortable using Conner as a complement to Le'Veon Bell in Sunday's opener against the Browns, Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger went a step farther, saying he anticipates Conner getting "quite a few carries" because the team isn't quite sure what kind of football shape Bell will be in. Pittsburgh's star back is still a good bet to rank among the Week 1 leaders in touches, but he may not quite be ready to handle the kind of massive play count that became his norm last season, when he logged 94 percent or more of the offensive snaps in 10 of 12 appearances. Conner is still best viewed as a top-notch handcuff and little more.