Joe Haden

Joe Haden needs to stay healthy, Gregg Williams says.

(Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

MOBILE, Ala. -- Gregg Williams has already talked to Joe Haden about staying healthy and returning to his Pro Bowl form.

"I liked him when he was coming out,'' Williams told 92.3 The Fan from the Senior Bowl on Thursday. "The one thing that's also genetics is injury-prone. That's mom and dad's fault, that's not coaching. That's not training. That's not doctors. I just think he's had a couple of tough times right now. I still think he's got gas in the tank. I still think he can play.''

Williams stressed that Haden will need to go into overdrive to stay available, especially considering he'll be 28 in April. He underwent surgery earlier this month to repair both groin muscles, which hampered him all last season. Last season, he missed 11 games with a concussion, rib and finger injuries.

"How you go about doing that is there are no down times of the year,'' Williams said. "Right now, he's got to get ready for the season, so he's going through the rehab process and he and I have already and met and talked. When we start the first day of off-season in April, he better be in great shape. And when he is, he's sending a message to me and everybody else that 'I'm ready to go.' And he'll be fine.''

In addition to making sure Haden's available, Williams will "accentuate his strengths and hide his weaknesses'' like he plans to do with every player.

"I've been able to morph and change scheme, techniques and fundamentals to match a lot of different people,'' he said. "I see some similar guys I've coached already with him. But he's good around the ball. He can catch the ball. He can make plays on the ball. Some of them can't and he's got to do his part on staying healthy and that's not protecting himself.

"That's doing the right things on rest, rehab, nutrition, strength, conditioning, doing all the things off the field and doing things the right way so that when he is on the field, he's available and ready to do.''

Former Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton gave Haden a lukewarm review in November.

"I would say for him (an average season), just because we expect so much more out of him," Horton said. "I'm sure he does, too.

"Obviously, when you go against the Antonio Browns, the Odell Beckham Jrs, the A.J. Greens ... they're going to catch some of theirs just because of the way the league is. But we and he expect a lot more out of him."

Haden, who tied for the team lead with three interceptions, agreed with Horton.

"Definitely for my standards, I don't feel like I'm playing to the best of my ability, but I'm giving it all I got,'' said. "To my standards I just feel like I should be the best corner in the league. And I don't feel like I've been playing like the best corner in the league this year."

The day he had surgery, he vowed to play better than ever.