Honeymoon Over: Giants Face Tough Offseason

Many critics will point the finger at Giants quarterback Eli Manning for the disheartening 23-11 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. But now that the season is officially over it's not Manning who controls New York's fate, it's General Manager Jerry Reese.

Since taking over for Ernie Accorsi about two seasons ago, Reese hasn't had to make many difficult decisions outside of selecting draft picks. He gave a contract extension to wideout Plaxico Burress, but it was a no-brainer at the time. Disgruntled tight end Jeremy Shockey basically forced his way out of town. And aside from that, he's only had to watch. 

But with the cloud of Plaxico's shooting incident still lingering, some chinks in the defensive front, and some potential coaching changes, Reese will be get his stiffest test in his brief tenure as Giants GM. Here are the five biggest question marks:

1. What do you do with Burress? This will be the biggest headline issue of the offseason. The general consensus is that Burress won't be able to play for the Giants again, but Reese and the powers that be have been careful with the language. Teammates might say otherwise, but Plax's absence was clearly felt as the Giants failed to reach twenty points in four of their last five games. 

2. Is Brandon Jacobs worth a big money contract? It's unclear whether Jacobs has the versatility or endurance to be worth of a major investment of resources. "Earth, Wind, and Fire" was an effective pool of runners, but Reese probably won't be able to keep all three guys. 

3. Will defensive end Osi Umenyiora be the same player next season? Plaxico's absence was frequently cited as a problem, but the pass rush disappeared over the course of the season as well. Justin Tuck was clearly gassed by the end of the season, and was not the same disruptive force as the primary object of attention for opposing offenses. If Osi returns as a high impact player, that would be a big lift,  but that's not a given in today's NFL.

4. Is Antonio Pierce getting too old to anchor the defense?  The Giants secondary has been much maligned over the past few seasons, but now there's youth and upside there. The Giants have no replacement for Pierce, the heart and soul of the defensive unit, and he's on the downside. 

5. Will Steve "Spags" Spagnuolo be sticking around as the team's defensive coordinator? We know head coach Tom Coughlin's not going anywhere, but Spagnuolo is arguably the hottest head coach prospect in the league. Along with the personnel issues in the front seven, Reese may have to find a new coordinator who can work with Coughlin and live up to the high standard Spags has set the last two years.