Howard Simmons | New York Daily News | TNS

By Matt Lombardo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Giants head coach Pat Shurmur gets the chance to meet with his team for the first time Monday morning as the offseason program begins at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center, including wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

“This is an opportunity for us as coaches to work with the players again," Shurmur said Monday on a conference call with reporters. "And set a new direction heading into the 2018 season. As you know, the first couple weeks here are basically strength training for the players, although we’ll also get a chance to meet with them. We’ll meet with them as a team, and then offensively, defensively, and special teams. We’ll try to set a foundation and get going, as we approach our first extra minicamp which will be the three days leading up to the draft. It’s exciting to get back to work, and see the players back in the building.”

While Beckham's turbulent offseason that included a controversial video hitting the internet, hints of a preseason holdout, and a swirling trade rumor mill dominated the conversation, Shurmur also opened up about the plan at quarterback during minicamp practices and his message for the team.

Here's a look at some of the key takeaways from Shurmur's conference call on Monday:

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Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

On the plan for splitting reps at quarterback between Eli Manning and Davis Webb:

PAT SHURMUR: "We're working on that. With only two quarterbacks in the building, they're obviously going to share the reps."

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TAKEAWAY: The Giants must decide by the end of the three day minicamp if Webb is capable of serving as Eli Manning's successor and ultimately becoming the franchise quarterback of the future, or if quarterback is the target with the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft on April 26.

It would certainly make sense for Webb to see at least a portion of the first-team reps in practice to make as thorough a decision as possible, despite the 2017 third-round draft pick not taking a single snap as a rookie during a 3-13 season under the previous coaching regime.

However, Shurmur's comments Monday were far less revelatory than his declaration at the NFL Annual Meeting in Orlando that the stage would essentially be Webb's to prove himself.

"I've got high hopes for him being a productive player in this league," Shurmur said last month in Orlando. "It's a little bit of an unknown ... but the advantage we will have is we get that extra mini-camp right up until the draft. It will be a great way for Davis to showcase what he can do."

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What is Shurmur's message to the team, following 3-13 disaster?

PAT SHURMUR: "I'll save it for when I talk to the team, but, for the most part we're trying to get things started and take advantage of the extra time we have. We want to grow away from what happened a year ago with a 3-13 season. We want to grow away from that. We want to try and grow into a team that can compete to win the division, compete in the playoffs, and hopefully hold up that fifth Lombardi Trophy. That's what we're trying to do, and get better one day at a time.

"It's important that the players understand that getting better by themselves is just as important as us getting better together. I think that's the beauty of getting to work together here."

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TAKEAWAY: With Beckham reporting, the Giants appear to have full attendance during the voluntary portion of the offseason, which underscores a level of commitment from the top down throughout the organization to putting last season's debacle in the rearview mirror.

Shurmur's comments on Monday echoed those of new defensive coordinator James Bettcher who labeled the start of the offseason program "Day 1" for everyone on his side of the football, including mercurial cornerback Eli Apple.

If the Giants can stay healthy, stay on the same page, and get steady productive play out of the quarterback position this season, Shurmur has a chance to quickly build some momentum off of an injury and controversy riddled final season under his predecessor, Ben McAdoo.

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Blueprint for Shurmur, offensive coaches during Giants' offseason program

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On the value of every player being in the building for the first day of the offseason:

PAT SHURMUR: "In my mind it's very important. It's important for everybody to be around, so they can hear it, learn it, and then do it, together. This is the ultimate team-game. We need to work together, because it's important that we are all on the same page as we move towards the fall."

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TAKEAWAY: This week is Shurmur's chance to lay the groundwork for the type of team he wants the Giants to be during his tenure. Having the entire roster in the building is the first step towards building not only a mentality, but also rebuilding a chemistry that seemed to take a significant step backwards last season.

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What will be the biggest difference the players see when they return?

PAT SHURMUR: "That's probably a better question for the players. I've learned how things have been done in the past, and there are some changes. I'll let the players discuss them with you.

"What's important is, this is a game that we all love to play. Most great players love the training aspect of the game, and getting better. I think that's part of where we're at. I think when there's a new coach, a new general manager, and some new players, there are some changes that they expect to see.

"I just think that it's very important that we're very professional, that we communicate very well together, and there's going to be a transfer of information. We as coaches have to listen to the players, but also teach what we want them to know and then let them tell us what they're seeing, so we know how to teach it further. That's what we're looking forward to. The communication. And then watching these guys develop physically as they go through the lifting and running."

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TAKEAWAY: Last season the chemistry within the locker room was in tatters, and it sounds like Shurmur is going to make it a priority to keep the lines of communication open between the players and coaches which could eliminate some of the finger-pointing and chaos that enveloped the Giants last season.

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What NFL Scout hears about Giants' NFL Draft Big Board

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On whether he's worried trade rumors will effect Odell Beckham?

PAT SHURMUR: "I'm not worried about it. I really believe that Odell is a professional and he wants to be great. He understands the importance of the offseason and he's a competitive guy and, again, we had already started communicating before all that information kind of got out there and was talked about a great deal. He's a professional and I'm glad he's here today."

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TAKEAWAY: Beckham is undoubtedly the most talented and dynamic player on the Giants' roster, but it isn't out of the realm of possibility that hearing his name swirling in trade rumors over the past several weeks could strain a relationship between the wide receiver and front office.

To Beckham's credit, reporting on time to the voluntary offseason program shows that he is making a concerted effort to move past the speculation.

However, The best way to assuage any concern about Beckham not getting on board with Shurmur's program and message is to get a new contract done. Here's what a long-term extension with Beckham might look like.

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Will Beckham be attending everything this offseason?

PAT SHURMUR: "I know he's in the building. We haven't had a chance to speak. I'll speak to him a little bit more later, probably this afternoon. But we haven't discussed that."

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TAKEAWAY: Presumably, Shurmur will find out whether Beckham plans to follow through on his threat to holdout from any on-field workouts during their meeting this week. If Beckham is in the building for the entire offseason program, it certainly would qualify as a gesture in good faith on his part towards a potential contract extension.

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Ryan Dunleavy | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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HOW TO REACH ME:

Matt Lombardo may be reached at MLombardo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattLombardoPHL.

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