Le'Veon Bell and Maurkice Pouncey are staples of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ high-powered offense because of their relentless play.

That intensity is exactly why the Steelers might keep these star players sidelined for parts of organized team activities.

The Steelers like to roll the ball out slowly for those coming off serious injuries, especially in May. When the Steelers reconvene Tuesday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, they’ll have two All-Pro talents who love to go hard but don’t necessarily need to, at least not yet.

Le'Veon Bell is recovering from knee surgery and may be asked to take things slow during the Steelers' OTAs. William Purnell/Icon Sportswire

Bell is recovering from knee surgery to repair a torn medial collateral ligament after falling awkwardly as Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict attempted a tackle in Week 8. Doctors also repaired posterior cruciate ligament damage, according to reports. Pouncey missed the entire 2015 season with a broken fibula after Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix fell behind him on a rushing play in the preseason.

What coach Mike Tomlin said at the NFL owners meetings about Pouncey might as well apply to Bell too.

“What he’s capable of doing and what I allow him to do may be two different things,” Tomlin said in late March. “I haven’t had those discussions or thoughts at this juncture. More than anything, we’ve just been watching some of those guys go through their rehabilitation processes.”

Both players seem to be progressing well. Pouncey’s twin brother, Dolphins center Mike Pouncey, told ESPN in March that Maurkice has been smashing his offseason workouts. Pouncey also has been an active participant in the team's offseason program, which is a good sign.

No one doubts Bell’s determination to return stronger than ever, even though fans -- and Bell himself -- threw some shade my way for pointing out the complexities of Bell’s injury, and how his progress will have a layer of mystery because of the time required to fully recover. The next four months will be crucial. Can Bell come back from this as his beastly self? Absolutely. But it’s a process, and since time will help strengthen the knee, there’s no reason to freak out if he eases into team workouts.

Bell has posted videos on social media of himself running through drills. The Steelers can always have him do some basic work if he’s attending OTAs, which aren’t mandatory. But the team also doesn’t need to see what he can do right now. They know Bell can take handoffs from Ben Roethlisberger and make moves.

“Le’Veon doesn’t have bad days,” Tomlin said at the owners meetings. “You ask him, he’s ready to go right now. I love that about him. I believe the process is going well for him. I think we need to do what’s right and we’re going to do that. When he’s ready, he’s ready.”

The guess here is both players are in attendance, but they will be working behind the scenes, maybe even getting the proverbial rest days that James Harrison has made famous (and with good reason -- he’s 38).

I’d be mildly surprised if either is on the field for 11-man work. Perhaps Pouncey would take the field since his injury is nearly 10 months old, but that's hardly a guarantee.

And don’t forget about safety Mike Mitchell, who had shoulder surgery in January and is starting to lift weights. He’s expected to be fully cleared for training camp, but he could be sidelined for offseason work.