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Scout on Newton: “You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t”

Cam Newton

Auburn quarterback Cam Newton responds to a question during a news conference during the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

AP

Cam Newton’s Pro Day kicks off this afternoon, and most everyone expects him to wow onlookers.

Newton has already shown an ability to dazzle in shorts when he’s throwing to his own receivers on a scripted workout. No one doubts that Newton is the most talented quarterback in the draft, so he should look great Tuesday.

One NFC scout speaking to Tom Pelissero of espn1500.com summed up the trouble teams face when evaluating Newton.

“If you don’t take him and he does turn out to be a great player, it’s like, ‘Well, you should have known that. The guy fricking came in and dominated college football one year.’”

“And then if you take him and he’s a bust, it’s like, ‘Well, you should have known all the off-field distractions would have caught up to him eventually,’” the scout said.

The scout said he’d grade Newton as the top quarterback in this class, but he doesn’t believe the group contains a “can’t miss” prospect.

“You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t, especially if you need [a quarterback]. As we all know, it’s a quarterback-driven league. That’s the guy that drives you.”