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Brown hopes Steelers extend Bell: 'I need him'

Justin K. Aller / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Even with superstars Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown leading the Steelers' passing game, Pittsburgh became a run-first offense in 2016 thanks to the exceptional talents of Le'Veon Bell.

Bell performed at an All-Pro-level after a three-game ban to start the year, but his efforts weren't enough to convince the Steelers to hand him the type of long-term contract he was seeking this offseason.

Related - Report: Bell turned down deal worth $42M over first 3 years; $12M average

Instead, Bell will play out 2017 on the $12.1-million franchise tag, and Brown hopes the Steelers eventually lock up their "special piece" on offense for the foreseeable future.

"We need him. I need him," Brown said Sunday, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "If we're going to do what we desire to do, we need every guy a part of the organization in a helmet to be there committed to the cause. He's a special piece. Obviously, we know what he brings to the team, his dimension playing football, but he's a special individual. I pray that we have him there."

Brown said he and Bell spoke for two hours Saturday night, but refused to go into details about the conversation, calling it "top secret."

Bell is pushing to reinvigorate the running-back market, which has been depressed in recent years as teams look for more affordable options. However, it remains to be seen whether the Steelers are willing to meet Bell's demands given his injury and suspension history, as well as the brief primes of elite running backs.

Even with Bell becoming the focal point of the offense, Brown exceeded 100 catches last year for the fourth straight season. No player in NFL history has ever produced five straight such campaigns.

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