Kickoff Primer: An instant guide to the 2016 Green Bay Packers

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Green Bay Packers

Coaching staff

Head coach: Mike McCarthy
Offensive coordinator: Edgar Bennett
Defensive coordinator: Dom Capers

Key Additions

• TE Jared Cook
• DT Kenny Clark (1st round)
• OT Jason Spriggs (2nd round)
• LB Blake Martinez (3rd round)

Key Departures

• G Josh Sitton
• CB Casey Hayward
• LB Sam Barrington
• FB John Kuhn
• DT B.J. Raji
• LB Mike Neal
• WR James Jones

Preseason power ranking - No. 6

Green Bay should be a playoff team for as long as Aaron Rodgers is under center, but continued success with developing talent around him is what gives this team enough talent to remain a perennial Super Bowl contender. More...

Project starting lineup

*center Corey Linsley (hamstring) was placed on PUP list, eligible to return after Week 6

Questions to answer

• How many problems will Nelson's return fix?
• Can the Packers get back to their pre-2015 form?
• Can Peppers and Matthews be an elite pair of bookends?

Best-case scenario

The Packers lost some steam in 2015 without Nelson, but the elite receiver's return could get their dominant offense back on track. The additions of Cook and a trim Lacy could give opposing defenses a whole new set of problems - not to mention the man himself, Aaron Rodgers. Matthews' return to the edge gives the Packers one of the league's better pass-rushing duos. Without many elite teams on the schedule, an exceptional 14-2 season could be coming, complete with a division title and maybe even a Super Bowl appearance.

Worst-case scenario

While it felt like the sky was falling in Green Bay for most of 2015, the Packers still pulled off a 10-6 record, and it's tough to imagine the cheeseheads doing much worse than that in 2016. Unless several of their stars suffer injuries, the Packers should finish with at least a 9-7 record, which could still earn them a playoff spot. The real worst-case possibility will depend on how good the Vikings are this season. If the Pack stumble out of the gate, Minnesota may prove too tough to catch in the division race.