http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills ... 194337.ece
The Green Bay Packers have the most home-grown roster in the NFL.
Thirty-six of the 53 men who made the Packers' final cut were drafted by Green Bay. Buffalo is tied with Minnesota for 19th, with 27 of its own players on the 53-man roster.
How important is having a home-grown roster? It's very important for franchises like the Bills and Packers, both of whom are committed to building from within and prefer not to make big splashes in free agency.
McCarthy is in his fifth season as Packers coach. General Manager Ted Thompson is in his sixth season at the helm.
"You have to have the ability to bring in young players," Thompson told the Journal-Sentinel. "Then you need a staff that's comfortable taking young players and putting them in position to contribute. Sometimes that takes a lot of courage and a lot of confidence. Mike and his staff deserve kudos."
The Packers have had misses, such as injury-plagued first-rounder Justin Harrell (2007) and second-round QB Brian Brohm (2008). But they hit a home run with their quarterback, Aaron Rodgers (2005). And they have drafted big-impact players, including Nick Collins (2005), Greg Jennings (2006), Jermichael Finley (2008), B.J. Raji (2009) and Clay Matthews (2009). All are young stars.
