Bell will play on franchise tag

Le’Veon Bell will be the NFL’s bestpaid running back in 2018 ... just not in the manner he’d hoped. The Steelers and their two-time all-pro failed to reach a long-term deal by Monday’s deadline for franchise-tagged players to do so. Bell will play on the tag for the second consecutive season, earning more than $14.5 million as the top-compensated player at his position. However, he failed to attain the long-term security he sought, angling for an extension that would have rewarded him like an elite receiver, according to multiple reports. Teammate Antonio Brown currently paces that market by pulling in $17 million annually, more than twice the amount of Atlanta’s Devonta Free- man ($8.25 million) and Buffalo’s LeSean McCoy ($8 million), who have the richest average salaries among running backs on multiyear contracts. “Even though we could not reach a long-term contract agreement with Le’Veon Bell, we are excited he will be with the team in 2018,” Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said in a statement. Bell wasn’t the only tagged player who failed to receive good news Monday. Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah and Rams safety Lamarcus Joyner also failed to reach multiyear deals.