Le'Veon Bell, who is slated to serve a three-game suspension to start the coming season, relays that the knee he hyperextended in the Steelers' regular-season finale is "close to 100 percent again," ESPN.com reports.

Bell, who is slated to serve a three-game suspension to start the coming season, relays that the knee he hyperextended in the Steelers' regular-season finale is "close to 100 percent again," ESPN.com reports.

Analysis:

With that in mind, Bell indicates that he will be ready to play as soon as the league permits him to do so. The running back -- who ran for 1,361 yards last season -- has appealed his suspension, but until a determination is made by the NFL on that front, we'll continue to operate under the assumption that free agent acquisition DeAngelo Williams will fill in for Bell out of the gate this season.