Five pressing questions facing Dave Gettleman, Pat Shurmur

INDIANAPOLIS — The greatest concern and overwhelming cause of angst for Giants fans might not be identical to the overlaying worry for the front office and coaching staff. The return of Eli Manning for a 15th season, as The Post has reported multiple times, will be confirmed Wednesday morning by general manager Dave Gettleman at the NFL Scouting Combine. Before that, coach Pat Shurmur will address the media for the first time since the conclusion of his first season with the Giants.

There are plenty of questions for the two more important Giants decision-makers. Here are five of the most pressing, with analysis:

How confident are you that Manning can take the Giants into the playoffs after last year’s 5-11 season with him as the starter?

It is no great surprise Shurmur wanted Manning back. In his first year with the Giants, Shurmur gained great appreciation for the way Manning prepares, comports himself and brings a consummate professional aura to the building. Personality-wise, Shurmur prefers cool, calm and collected in his quarterback and that defines Manning’s demeanor.

Still, the Giants were 1-7 and struggled mightily on offense in the first half of Shurmur’s first season, and he is tied at the hip to the offense as the play-caller. Shurmur needs to explain why he believes Manning, at 38, can still do the job at a high level.

Is Landon Collins a part of this rebuild or are you planning on moving on without him?

For a team with glaring holes on defense, adding one at strong safety would be an odd choice. Money talks, though, and Collins’ contract has expired. The Giants have until March 5 to secure him with the franchise tag, effectively keeping him on the roster in 2019 for around $11.2 million. Collins, naturally, prefers a lucrative long-term deal and might stay away from the spring football activities if he is tagged without a new deal.

If Collins is allowed to hit the open market, the Giants will need a new starting strong safety, in addition to a new free safety, which is not ideal.

Why won’t the Odell Beckham Jr. trade murmurs quiet down once and for all?

At this time last year, Shurmur was in the nascent stages of building a relationship with Beckham, and it led to the Giants signing the star receiver to a $90 million contract extension. During the season, Shurmur encountered bumps in the road with Beckham. The relationship needs more work. Gettleman most recently said he did not sign Beckham to trade him. Last year, when fielding calls for Beckham, the Giants set such a high price tag (two first-round picks) they knew there would be no takers. What do they do this time around if those calls come in?

What is up with the offensive line?

Some questions never seem to go away. The total reconstruction of the line began last year with the signing of veteran left tackle Nate Solder and drafting in the second round of left guard Will Hernandez. Gettleman is adamant about finding a new right tackle — Chad Wheeler is better suited to a backup role — and likely will first try to find one in free agency.

Gettleman with the Panthers in 2015 took Daryl Williams out of Oklahoma in the fifth round and could try to sign the 26-year old off the open market. In any case, the Giants are sure to study all the living, breathing offensive linemen this week at the combine.

Do you need to find Manning’s eventual successor now, not later?

Shurmur in 2018 went with an unusual backup group behind Manning. Though it was obvious rookie fourth-round pick Kyle Lauletta would make the team, naming Alex Tanney as the backup was a stunner, given Tanney’s meager résumé (one NFL appearance). It is almost inconceivable Shurmur will again go with this same trio, as an upgrade of talent in the quarterback room is essential.

The Post has reported the Giants are not expected to go the free-agent route to find the next in line after Manning, so this year’s draft is the place to go shopping. It remains to be seen if any of this group, headed by Dwayne Haskins of Ohio State, will be deemed worthy of the No. 6 pick by the Giants.

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