Bears claim Browns CB K’Waun Williams

The Bears moved to shore up their tenuous cornerback depth Tuesday — and at a cheap cost — when they claimed K’Waun Williams off waivers from the Browns.

Williams was waived Monday, one day before he was expected to return from a team-issued two-week suspension for refusing to enter the first preseason game. Williams and the Browns disagreed about the extent of an ankle injury, the reason why he said he couldn’t play. The cornerback threatened to retire at one point, but changed his mind.

The Bears hope the 25-year-old — a third-year player who attended Pitt but wasn’t drafted — can compensate for the fact that they are missing all three starting cornerbacks: Tracy Porter (concussion), Kyle Fuller (arthroscopic knee surgery) and slot corner Bryce Callahan (hamstring). The three have combined to miss five starts this preseason, at least one each.

The Bears were in the market for a cornerback with experience, but have hesitated to trade a draft pick for one.

To make room, the Bears waived cornerback Kevin Peterson.