Pritchard: Despite Belichick stigma, Broncos should ‘give Flores a chance’

Branches from the Bill Belichick coaching tree haven’t been the most fruitful in the NFL — from Charlie Weis to Romeo Crennel to a guy the Denver Broncos know well, Josh McDaniels.

But on Wednesday, “Pritchard and Cecil” co-host Mike Pritchard said that while you have to “take it into consideration” that Brian Flores comes off of that “Charlie Brown tree in New England,” the Patriots defensive coordinator is still worthy of a good look by the Broncos.

“I think everybody is their own person. So, you’ve got to give Flores a chance,” Pritchard said.

While still gaining experience in the league — he’s only been a defensive coordinator for a year — Flores has gone risen up the Patriots ranks quickly, from a scouting assistant in 2004 to his current position this season.

“This guy, who in 2004 was a scouting assistant, now he’s a candidate for head coach. That tells you something about him,” Pritchard said. “That right there, getting an opportunity 14 years later, just getting an opportunity like this, to be a head coach in the National Football League, that’s incredible. That means this guy is ascending.”

And while he doesn’t have the experience, Flores may have the ability, said Pritchard’s co-host, Cecil Lammey, on Wednesday.

“That’s where experience and ability, you’ve got to weigh both of those heavily. Because he doesn’t have the experience, but he might have the ability,” Lammey said.

However, experience is a major requirement for Denver’s next head coach laid out by Broncos general manager John Elway on Monday.

“For me, I look for experience. I want the guys that understand the game, they understand Xs and Os but also have the ability to lead men,” Elway said. “That’s a big part of it in today’s world. Those are two things that I look for …”

In any case, the Broncos have requested to interview Flores, which they will do on Monday.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.