The Jacksonville Jaguars were left at the altar in their bid to acquire quarterback Tim Tebow from the Denver Broncos, but their interest was undeniable.
After Tebow landed with the New York Jets, Jaguars owner Shahid Khan said it worked out for the best.
Khan's effort to recast the Jaguars as a marquee franchise comes with little patience for players who don't want to be there. One player who does -- quarterback Blaine Gabbert -- shrugged off the team's pursuit of Tebow.
"It was not a worry in the world," Gabbert told the Jaguars' official website Tuesday. "They had to do their due diligence evaluating players. It's the nature of the business. You have to do that in order to build a complete football team."
Jaguars coach Mike Mularkey and general manager Gene Smith kept in frequent communication with Gabbert as they pursued and signed Chad Henne, then lost out on Tebow.
"It's extremely important, having that communication with your head coach, your general manager, your quarterback coach -- so that you can build a relationship with them," Gabbert said. "When we're not here in the offseason, phone calls and text messages are the only way to communicate. Being in contact with them and hearing the words come out of their mouth makes everything a lot easier."
After ranking 33rd among NFL quarterbacks in 2011 -- just south of Curtis Painter -- Gabbert's philosophical take is appropriate. He hasn't exactly earned the right to shift into diva mode in Jacksonville, where his next task is beating out Henne. The Jaguars, meanwhile, must figure out if Gabbert is their quarterback of the future, or the guy they wanted a little less than Tim Tebow.
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