Cotton bounces back from ineffective outing in T.O.

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This article was published 13/06/2015 (3748 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Word at Winnipeg Blue Bombers training camp is Paris Cotton is hearing footsteps — and they’re gaining on the 25-year-old in the competition to win the starting tailback job.

A disastrous outing for Cotton in Winnipeg’s pre-season game in Toronto Tuesday coupled with a huge performance by rival running back Carlos Anderson has many thinking Cotton’s days as No. 1 might be numbered.

Well, rumours of Cotton’s demise might be exagerrated because the only footsteps Cotton was hearing in a noteworthy practice on Saturday were the ones he left in his wake as he romped to the end zone.

Cotton had two TD runs in practice Saturday — including a 70-yard work of art in which he eluded tackler after tackler then simply out-ran the entire defence to the end zone.

It was the same kind of elusive speed Cotton showed late in the 2014 season after he took over tailback duties from Nic Grigsby. And it was also exactly what he’s going to need to show more of over the next week if he’s going to convince the coaches to give him the keys to the Bombers running game this coming season.

Cotton carried just three times Tuesday and they were forgettable efforts, adding up to zero yards and a fumble. If that wasn’t bad enough, Cotton’s humble effort came on the same night Anderson was lighting things up, running for 22 yards on two carries while also returning a punt 93 yards for a TD.

Cotton said Saturday he can only tip his helmet to Anderson — and then focus on learning from the Toronto experience to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

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“It actually felt during the game like it went even worse for me than it looked afterward on film,” said Cotton. “It’s never as bad as you think it is during the game. But after we looked at things on film, I know there are a lot of things I need to fix…

“As far as Carlos goes, he’s a great player. He’s explosive, he can change direction at the drop of a dime. He’s on my team and I love the fact a guy’s taking a punt return (93) yards. But if I start thinking that him doing that is going to hurt what I’m doing, that’s a negative way of thinking.”

Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said he’s been impressed with Cotton’s attitude in training camp. While Cotton came into camp as the incumbent tailback, O’Shea said Cotton was unperturbed to learn the Bombers were also bringing in four other running backs this month to challenge him for the starting tailback job.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @PaulWiecek