GREEN BAY, Wis. -- With free agency set to begin in a little more than two weeks, we will count down the top 10 Green Bay Packers' players scheduled to hit the open market on March 10.
We will go in reverse order.
Here's No. 10:
Jamari Lattimore, linebacker
2014 pay: $1.431 million.
By the numbers: Played 23.1 percent of the defensive snaps and 26.3 percent of the special teams plays before his season ended because of a Nov. 30 ankle injury. He made five starts at inside linebacker and registered 43 tackles, one interception and two pass breakups.
The case for keeping him: He would be a relatively cheap option -- the Packers might be able to get him for even less than the restricted free-agent tender he signed last season -- to bring back to add depth at inside linebacker. He's still relatively new to the position, having played defensive end in college at Middle Tennessee State and outside linebacker as a rookie in 2011, so there's still the possibility for growth in Year 5 and beyond. The Packers already have let veteran Brad Jones go and might do the same with another veteran, A.J. Hawk.
The case for letting him walk: Lattimore might be part of the problem, not the solution. He played enough in the first half of the season, when the run defense struggled mightily and ranked dead last in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game at the bye week, that they have a good idea he's not a long-term starter. At best, he's probably a backup or a fill-in starter. Coach Mike McCarthy has made it no secret that one of the top priorities this offseason is upgrading the inside linebacker spot. They like Sam Barrington, whose snap counts increased as the season went on last year, more than they like Lattimore.
Prediction: The Packers let him walk.
