Panthers' failed Jaire Alexander pursuit illustrates how far off they are

For once, though, the interest in a star free agent was real. Adam Schefter reported that the Panthers actually had legitimate interest in the cornerback. "Carolina is interested in Jaire Alexander. There are other teams offering him more money than Baltimore can," Schefter said on the Pat McAfee Show.

Ultimately, whether the Panthers were a team that could've offered more than Baltimore remains to be seen because they never truly threw their hat in the ring. It may or may not have been a good idea to do so given Alexander's bolsterous and sometimes troublesome personality as well as his poor injury history.

The Panthers are not good enough to convince a star to sign right now first and foremost. But they're also not good enough to take the risk. The Ravens can sign Alexander because they're flush with defensive backs and have the culture to convince Alexander to sign on.

The Panthers don't have that yet. It's no secret that Carolina isn't Baltimore; they're not even close. But that's what a winning team looks like, and Alexander's signing is another example of what Carolina should strive to be but isn't yet.