NFL rumors: Eagles bring back Jordan Matthews | How will he impact the passing game?

The Eagles decided to bring back veteran wide receiver Jordan Matthews on Wednesday, just over a year after dealing him to the Buffalo Bills, per Yahoo Sports' Jordan Schultz.

The team made the move to bring in the familiar face after waiving DeAndre Carter to make room for running back Josh Adams. Matthews, 26, is familiar with Eagles Coach Doug Pederson's offense, as the wide receiver spent the 2016 season in the scheme.

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Matthews' familiarity will help the Eagles immediately, as the wide receiver knows at least a portion of the playbook. The Eagles need the urgent effort of a proven commodity due to the injuries that have piled up at the wide receiver position.

Mike Wallace broke his fibula in Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and top target Alshon Jeffery has placed a "day to day" status on his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery. With two of the Eagles' biggest receiving threats out of the lineup, the squad will need to rely heavily on the experience of Matthews, Nelson Agholor and Kamar Aiken. Second-year player Shelton Gibson is the only other wide receiver on the roster.

The Eagles traded Matthews (6-3, 215 lbs.) in August of last year. The deal sent the wide receiver and a third-round pick to Buffalo for cornerback Ronald Darby. Matthews went on to have a disappointing season in Buffalo, as injuries held him to just 10 games. He caught 25 passes for 282 receiving yards and a touchdown during his lone season with the Bills. He spent this past offseason with the New England Patriots but was released in August after suffering a hamstring injury.

Prior to his underwhelming stints with the two AFC East teams, Matthews was a focal point of the Eagles' offense. He caught 225 passes for 2,672 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns during his original three-year stint in Philadelphia. Matthews' best season was in 2015 when he caught 85 passes for 997 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.

Matthews entered the league as the Eagles' 2014 second-round pick out of Vanderbilt.

Here are four observations regarding Matthews' return to Philadelphia:

1. Go with what you know. The Eagles are clearly hoping that Matthews' familiarity with the offense will pay immediate dividends. While Philadelphia may have to alter his role from his first stint on Broad Street, Matthews at least has an understanding of the principles of the system. Matthews developed a strong bond with quarterback Carson Wentz in 2016 and the two players could re-debut together at The Linc on Sunday.

2. Where will Matthews line up? For the majority of his first tenure with the Eagles, Matthews lined up in the slot. Agholor saw his production explode in that position last season and he has been a force throughout the first two games of this year. If the Eagles decide to move Matthews back to his old role, Agholor may have to adjust for the sake of the offense.

3. Matthews' signing means little for long-term plans. Make no mistake, Matthews will be a role player in Philadelphia. While his addition helps the Eagles' banged up receiving unit, he won't be a top three target this season, unless Jeffery has a setback. Matthews is a veteran player with experience in the Eagles offense but he isn't going be the guy that rights the ship at wide receiver. Jeffery is still needed in the lineup.

4. How much does Matthews have to offer? The Patriots cut Matthews after just a few months this offseason. He hasn't received a lot of looks elsewhere since then. Injuries have limited Matthews over the last few seasons and his lack of versatility has hurt his market value. Despite being a proven presence, his production drop-off last year should still keep the Eagles cautious.

Mike Kaye may be reached at mkaye@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Mike_E_Kaye. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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