The Facts: Following up on a previous item. ... Bell, a restricted free-agent, is close to a long-term contract, and if the Lions get that deal done today as they hope, they’ll give themselves a little more spending room under the $133-million salary cap.

Diehards Line: The Lions desire to keep Bell comes as no surprise. He and Reggie Bush became the first running back tandem in NFL history to each have 500 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in a season. The duo is a perfect balance of speed (Bush) and power (Bell). ... Even with Mikel Leshoure and Theo Riddick on board, Bell’s production would be difficult for the Lions to replace.