Julio Jones is going to bat for Le'Veon Bell -- saying the Pittsburgh Steelers should sign the man to the HUGE contract he wants ... instead of slapping him with the franchise tag again.
FYI, franchise tagged players are essentially locked to their team in a 1-year deal. In Bell's case, the Steelers must pay him 120% of his previous salary because it's the 2nd year in a row he's been tagged.
Bell got $12.1 mil in 2017 -- so, he'll be making around $14.5 in 2018. Not bad ... but Bell has previously told TMZ Sports he's looking for a $100 million contract and hopes to stay in Pittsburgh for the rest of his career.
Enter Jones, who says Bell is a stud player and tells us, "I wish they could do away with the franchise tag."
There's more with Jones -- he also gives us an update on the diamond earring he lost in a lake last year and tells us if he's got any plans to pursue a career in Hollywood!