NFL Free Agents 2011: Is Braylon Edwards a Better Fit with Cardinals or Bears?

Congratulations to Braylon Edwards, who is now the most sought-after free-agent wide receiver on the market.

Stand up and applaud the man; I’m sure it feels good to catch on at something.

He deserves it too. He is loaded with talent and potential, despite the constant knock on his hands.

He is a great deep threat due to his fine speed and fantastic leaping ability. He has 39 career touchdowns, but everyone remembers that remarkable 2007 season in which he scored a whopping 16 touchdowns.

That’s the type of potential this man has. More importantly than anything else, he is one of the most durable receivers in the league, as he has played in 90 games during his career. 

With Plaxico Burress staying in the Big Apple, this time with Gang Green, Edwards is sure to be in new threads next season. He has a handful of teams to choose from that need a wideout, including the Vikings, Titans and Redskins, but the only two teams in his vision should be the Cardinals and Bears.

Yet, which one would be the best fit?

If he heads to Chicago, he will deal with the weather. Poppycock. This is a man who has played football in Michigan, Cleveland and New York. He laughs in the face of rain, hail, sleet and snow!

He would have the opportunity to greatly improve an offense that is struggling to find a No. 1 receiver. Unlike last year in New York, Braylon would once again be the superstar wide receiver and go-to option for his quarterback. And what a quarterback he will have tossing him the rock in strong-armed Jay Cutler. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz would make it easy for him to succeed.

This all sounds great. Chicago is a top choice for a reason.

But it’s not the right one, for that belongs to Arizona.

Braylon needs to go to the desert to play with the upcoming team in the NFC. Like the Bears, the Cardinals have also been to the Super Bowl recently. More importantly, Edwards will have the opportunity to play next to arguably the best wide receiver in the league in Larry Fitzgerald.

Say goodbye to double-teams for the rest of your career, Braylon! Let’s see, you can play next to a future Hall of Famer or a monstrous bust in Roy Williams—how could you ever choose between the two!?

The Cardinals play in a much easier, weaker and winnable division than the Bears.

In the NFC North, the Bears have to compete against three playoff-caliber teams. In the NFC West, the Cardinals just need an 8-8 record to win the division for crying out loud!

Arizona has the perfect path toward a Super Bowl appearance. It finally has a quarterback in Kevin Kolb. Hey, I may be a Kolb hater, but at least he’s not Derek Anderson! Hell, I’ll even take my chances with Kolb over Tarvaris Jackson and Alex Smith. The Cards already have the second-best QB in the division and we know he’ll throw down the field.

Imagine Fitz and Braylon streaking down the field—safeties and corners wouldn’t be able to sleep the nights leading up to game time due to constant nightmares filling their usual sweet dreams. These two men together on the same field would be frightening for defensive coordinators and secondary stars, especially those in the NFC West.

We’ve seen the Cardinals dominate this division in the past when Fitz was with Kurt Warner and Anquan Boldin. No, Kolb and Edwards are not even close to Warner and Boldin, but they still have nearly the same opportunity to own this division.

Arizona has a great defense, an emerging rushing attack and also just signed veteran tight end Todd Heap. This is a team on the rise and Edwards could essentially guarantee a division title.

The choice is simple, Braylon. Go with the team that has the easier path to the Super Bowl and will allow you to thrive.

Brandon Galvin is a Bleacher Report Featured Columnist and Syndicated Writer. Follow Him on Twitter.