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“He’s been a winner,” Daboll told reporters Thursday, according to ESPN.com. “He’s had two 10-plus win seasons. I did a study just this offseason about 10-plus-win quarterbacks, which is what you’re defined by, obviously. There’s been nine of them in the last four years that have had two or more 10-plus win seasons in the regular season, and Matt is one of them.

“The other ones being Brady, (Drew) Brees, (Aaron) Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli (Manning), (Joe) Flacco, (Matt) Ryan, so he’s been a winner. He works his tail off in the classroom. I think he’s done a good job in these OTAs, and I’m looking forward to working with him.”

Will 2012 be the year of the breakout kings in the AFC West?

Gary Horton of Scouts Inc., thinks so. Horton looks at the top-10 candidates for breakout seasons Insider in the AFC. He has three players from the AFC West on his list.

He has Oakland receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey at No. 7, Kansas City safety Kendrick Lewis at No. 9 and Denver receiver Demaryius Thomas at No. 10. All three players are believable candidates.

What is it that you like so much about Tanney?

I believe he has a high football IQ and he is willing to work and improve. He seems coachable, and while all of these things are the bare minimum a UDFA must have to succeed, at least he has them and therefore a chance. He’s got the pedigree since he was essentially born and bred to be the starting QB at Monmouth and he shattered records there, probably because he could have played at the D-II level (though that is just my own speculation).

He’s got the size, arm talent and accuracy to stick on a NFL roster, and if he gets in the film room and picks up what the coaches are trying to teach him then I think he has a good chance to stick on the practice squad as a developmental prospect. There are no guarantees, but I think he has the skill-set to stick in the NFL as a back-up at least. Whether he develops into anything more than a #3 or #2 QB on a NFL roster is up to him.

“It shows you a few things,” Zorn said. “It really does. Plus, you like a guy that loves to compete. He’s kind of got a good feel about him. He kind of reminds me about Ricky (Stanzi). The pressure doesn’t get to him. All of the stuff he’s got to handle, he’s just moving right along. He’s been great.”

Tanney, at 6 feet 4 and 220 pounds, has the requisite size and, as is obvious from his YouTube video, a strong arm. He also had impressive statistics at Monmouth College, a Division III school in Illinois. Among them: Division III records of 14,249 yards and 157 touchdowns.

OTAs have given Hartman another advantage as well. Last year’s rookies had to wait until training camp to hear the advice of established veterans. But during this year’s OTAs, players like Eric Berry and Kendrick Lewis haven’t been shy about giving Hartman and fellow rookie safety Terrance Parks advice from the sidelines as they rehab from their injuries.

“Eric (Berry) and Kendrick (Lewis) have done a great job helping us out and giving us any tips and pointers in between plays,” said Hartman. “When we come off to the sideline, they’re always there to help us out any way they can. I couldn’t ask for more from them.”