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Steelers in Bell’s Corner

Facing a four game suspension, the Pittsburgh Steelers have come out in full support of Le’Veon Bell publicly and behind the scenes. For Martavis Bryant who is suspended for the whole season, it’s a different story.

Talk in the early going of camp is that Bryant is going to have to repair some relationships in the organization, including strained relationships with key players to be welcomed back in the locker room were Bryant to surprisingly stay clean and be reinstated next season.

Some believe Bryant has played his last game as a Steeler.

The Bell situation is getting interesting.

Bell is either a great salesman in making the Steelers believe he’s stopped smoking pot and him missing multiple drug tests was a total accident/not intentional or the Steelers just don’t believe Bell has a problem to the extent that Bryant did when the Steelers last fall worked with Bryant and his representation to get him outside counseling.

For Bell there’s little to no talk in Steelers circles that the Steelers believe he’s headed down a path similar to Bryant.

Still, there’s obviously some issues here.

The question isn’t if Bell’s going to be suspended, he is, the question is whether his appeal leads to the suspension getting reduced by a game or two.

Whether it was the leak or some technicality that might favor Bell, the Steelers behind the scenes have put themselves in Bell’s corner to get the suspension reduced, sources say.

One thing for certain is that Bell’s defense of changing phone numbers isn’t going to help his cause.

Brown camp prepared to issue a 2-week ultimatum to Steelers?

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Could the Antonio Brown situation get ugly? Ian Rapoport today reported on the possibility and there is a lot of chatter coming out of the Brown camp that agent Drew Rosenhaus is prepared to deliver a two-week ultimatum to the Steelers if the Steelers don’t change their tune following an expected meeting between the two sides this coming week.

[Take care of Antonio or a hold out is coming as one source put it.]

The Steelers internally are brushing off the notion of Brown leaving camp as anything but the agent trying to make some noise.

Rosenhaus wanted Brown to holdout last season but Brown took the advice of Mike Tomlin and opted against such a move. This year the only power play left for Brown would be leaving camp a couple weeks in and see what the Steelers response would be.

Would it get Brown anywhere? Who knows but as DeAndre Hopkins learned, getting fined $40,000 a day isn’t worth it.

Camp Buzz

— Wide Receiver Sammie Coates has been the camp darling through the first two days of camp. Showing great explosiveness and improved route running. Lot’s of optimism in Steelers circles that he emerges as the Steelers clear No. 2 by mid-season. Coates will be running a lot of go routes this season and Steelers coaches are also intrigued about Coates’ ability to cause matchup problems from the slot.

— A new breed of tight ends at Ben Roethlisberger’s disposal this season. When he’s healthy, week 1 status still in doubt, Ladarius Green will give Roethlisberger a vertical threat at the tight end position he’s never had. The player making some noise right now is undrafted free agent Xavier Grimble who can get open and stretch the field. The Steelers believe they could have something in him.

— Senquez Golson has opened camp as the No. 3 cornerback behind William Gay and Ross Cockrell. The hope for the Steelers is Golson locks down the slot corner role so the team can keep William Gay on the outside. The position battle to watch will be whether Artie Burns can do enough to unseat Cockrell.[/hide]