The Sports Xchange

BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns are loaded in the secondary with three Pro Bowl players and another first-round draft pick, but it is a player without those lofty credentials that fills a very important role.

Left cornerback Joe Haden plus safeties Donte Whitner and Tashaun Gipson were selected to the Pro Bowl last year, although a knee injury prevented Gipson from playing. The Browns are hopeful for a bounce-back season from 2014 eighth overall pick Justin Gilbert after a disappointing rookie year.

That other player is K’Waun Williams, an undrafted rookie in 2014. Williams played in 13 games last year with four starts. He missed one game with a concussion and two with a hamstring injury. His durability is a true concern, so he spent the first three months of 2015 getting leaner and stronger.

“He’s a scrappy dude, and he makes plays, plays very, very physical,” Haden said. “He’s confident in himself, and he just knows the game. He takes coaching very well and he’s one of the best nickel backs I’ve ever seen. As far as playing the slot, he can get his hands on guys and he’s able to guard the Hawkins, the Welkers, those types of dudes that are smaller and can move inside.”

Circumstances gave the Browns inside information on Williams when he went undrafted last year. Secondary coach Jeff Hafley coached Williams at Pitt, so not only did Hafley go to bat for him, but Williams also knew how Hafley coaches, making it a smooth fit all around.

“You have to play with a chip on your shoulder,” Williams said. “After every play you make, they say ‘undrafted.’ That’s the first thing they tag you with. So I just play with it and try to prove that anyone can make it in this league. If you have heart and you play hard, you can make it on our team.”

The Browns lost starting right cornerback Buster Skrine to the Jets in free agency and signed veteran Tramon Williams from the Packers to take Skrine’s spot in case Gilbert struggles again.

Just in case Tramon Williams and Gilbert fail, the Browns are giving K’Waun Williams some snaps at right corner. He has made the adjustment well, but the true home for the 5-foot-9, 175-pounder is nickel back.

“We mix it up,” K’Waun Williams said. “I’m just moving around the defense. It’s been good. I’ve played outside corner before, but it’s different at this level.”

Head coach Mike Pettine said Williams has made the most improvement from 2014 to this season among the second-year players on the team.

–Cornerback Joe Haden hosted a celebrity charity softball game on June 6 in the Cleveland suburb of Eastlake, Ohio, in Classic Park, home of the Cleveland Indians Class ‘A’ Lake County Captains. Richard Sherman, A.J. Green, Colin Kaepernick and Hall of Fame player Deion Sanders were among the NFL stars that participated along with many Browns players.

Browns second-year quarterback Johnny Manziel, a baseball star in high school who was drafted by the San Diego Padres last year, won the home run derby.

–The Browns traded a 2016 seventh-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for punter Andy Lee and waived Spencer Lanning, who punted for the Browns in 2013 and 2014. Lee, a four-time Pro Bowl player for the 49ers, will also hold on place-kicks.

“It was a tough choice because anyone who has spent any time around Spencer knows what a solid player he is and quality person,” coach Mike Pettine said after OTAs on Thursday. “It was a tough decision, but that’s life in the NFL. It was an opportunity to make our team better.”

–The Browns now have turned over all three specialists in one year. Charley Hughlett is the new long snapper and Lee has replaced Lanning. The Browns will have a new kicker as well. Carey Spear and Travis Coons are competing to replace Garrett Hartley, who was released earlier this spring.

–Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe is back at practice after suffering a knee injury last week. He ran well Thursday and showed no sign of lingering problems.