Antonio Brown stays in touch with his teammate and friend, Le'Veon Bell, even if the latter is not training with him at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex this month.

"I tell him how his (rap) tape is not that good," Brown said, smiling. "(And) how he should come out here (to Pittsburgh) and (practice) with me."

Bell is the only player on the 90-man roster absent from Steelers organized team activities. They are voluntary for any player but particularly for Bell, who is not under contract because he has not signed the franchise-tag tender presented to him early this spring.

Though the situations are not entirely analogous for myriad reasons, Brown recently went through a protracted period of disagreement with the Steelers over contract terms. He, however, did not have any extended absences from offseason or training camp practices.

Brown remains supportive of his teammate, saying of Bell: "He's an individual. He's a professional. He's got to do what is professional for him and his family."

But Brown also quickly added, referring to negotiating with the Steelers: "Obviously, I just know the way that works."

Brown agreed to a five-year, $73 million contract with the Steelers in February 2017 after he had been given a pair of de facto $2 million raises during the previous two summers.

Does Brown believe the way he handled unhappiness with a Steelers contract set a good example?

"Well, the first rule of getting better is showing up," Brown said. "You can't make anything better without showing up. So I think if you show up, I think everyone will understand where you want to be. That you want to be here not just this year but for years to come. Come out here and show up, show you want to get better and show guys you're serious."

All-Pro WR Antonio Brown's advice for Le'Veon Bell, who is skipping OTAs, on best way to negotiate a new contract with #Steelers : Show up. pic.twitter.com/phCBahLtL8

— Kevin Gorman (@KGorman_Trib) May 23, 2018

Brown said he understands and empathizes that Bell is approaching his business, well, like a business. Bell made $12.1 million last season under the franchise tag after his four-year rookie contract expired. Under the collective bargaining agreement, when the Steelers tagged him again for 2018, the required 20 percent raise equates to $14.52 million.

Bell reportedly has rejected multiyear offers in that salary range.

Guard Ramon Foster is the Steelers union representative and the team's second-longest tenured player. He doesn't have an issue with Bell's absence.

"He's (not) under contract right now, so he has no obligation (to participate)," Foster said. "My thing with that and everybody else is the business side handles itself. I am sure he is working his butt off like he always has. He did the same thing last year as far as how many days he missed, and he was (No. 3 in the NFL) in rushing. So we are not worried about that."

After not reporting until a week before the start of the 2017 regular season, Bell has threatened to sit out even longer in 2018.

Like Foster, Brown said from a football standpoint, he isn't worried about Bell's play suffering.

Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell have 2,572 combined scrimmage yards this season, most by any duo in the NFL.The next-closest duo is Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara with 2,149. pic.twitter.com/QY9ufO4Ts5

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 27, 2017

"We all know Le'Veon is a competitor, and he's always highly conditioned" Brown said. "We know he's going to be taking care of his body and be highly conditioned. One thing about Le'Veon that makes him special is he takes this game seriously. There's never a doubt about his (commitment) to the game. He's physically ready.

"I know when he walks into the building, when he shows up, you know what you're going to get. You're gonna get a guy ready to take 400, 500 carries, a guy who's willing to run, to catch the ball, a guy who can do it all.

Staff writer Kevin Gorman contributed. Chris Adamski is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at cadamski@tribweb.com or via Twitter @C_AdamskiTrib.

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