AFC North Notes: Steelers, Bell, Bengals

Is Le’Veon Bell looking for $17MM/year? There have been rumblings about the running back looking for a salary equivalent to Antonio Brown‘s, but as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com understands it, that’s not quite the case. When asked earlier this offseason about how much he would need to take the field, the Steelers star said he wouldn’t take anything less than $14.5MM annually (the value of his franchise tender) over the course of a long-term deal. That answer implies that a deal could be reached for roughly $15MM/year, which may be more realistic.

Here’s more on Bell plus other news out of the AFC North:

• The Steelers seem serious about exploring their running back options in the draft, Fowler writes. Their interest in LSU star Derrius Guice seems genuine, which indicates that the team is prepared for any possible outcome with Bell.
• The Bengals are meeting with safety Eric Reid, but they may just be testing the waters. A contract offer is not immediately on the horizon and the Bengals may wait on any other veteran signings until after the draft, Jim Owczarski of The Enquirer hears. With eleven picks in the draft, the Bengals could find a young cost-controlled rookie safety. Alternatively, the Bengals can preserve their projected trio of sixth-round compensatory picks in 2019, if they wait until May 8 to make a veteran signing.
• The Browns have talent on the defensive line in Myles Garrett, Larry Ogunjobi, and Emmanuel Ogbah, but the presence of those players would not preclude the Browns from taking Bradley Chubb at No. 4 overall if they want him, Dan Labbe of Cleveland.com opines. Recently, coach Hue Jackson said that he has dreamed about a scenario in which he has Garrett and Chubb as his top bookends.