The Facts: For the second straight year, the Steelers have applied the franchise tag to Bell. For the second straight year, the Steelers and Bell possibly won’t get a long-term deal done before the mid-July deadline. Regardless, GM Kevin Colbert said that Bell will be back with the team this year. “[H]e’ll be a Pittsburgh Steeler in 2018,” Colbert said. “Unless he did something that he didn’t do last year, I think we can assume that if we don’t get a long-term deal done he’ll show up and he’ll be as ready as he can be."

Diehards Line:As PFT's Mike Florio points out, that thing Bell “didn’t do last year” would be a holdout that extends into, and possibly through, the 2018 season. That’s highly unlikely, given that he will make $14.56 million for one more year with the Steelers. It’s also highly unlikely that the Steelers will rescind the franchise tender from Bell at some point before he signs it. “I always say that of course it’s a possibility but not a probability,” Colbert said. “We wouldn’t have tagged him if we ever felt that. Right now, we know that Le’Veon will play for us in 2018 if he plays anywhere. That part would never be — I wouldn’t say never because something crazy can always happen. But that wouldn’t be a probability.” For now, the goal remains to sign Bell to a long-term deal. And getting him signed to a long-term deal means Bell would be at training camp, unlike last year. For that to happen, negotiations, which are currently on hold, will have to resume. Expect that to happen once the draft is over.