Julia Hatmaker | Penn Live

By Mike Kaye | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The Eagles made a splash before the trade deadline, acquiring veteran wide receiver Golden Tate from the Detroit Lions for a third-round pick. Tate's presence will help expand the Eagles' offense as Philadelphia looks to get back to the postseason. His arrival will also probably impact the way the Eagles use their injured reserve designations.

Right now, the obvious trio of candidates includes tight end Richard Rodgers and wide receivers Mack Hollins and Mike Wallace. With the three pass-catchers all eligible to return over the next few weeks, the front office will need to weigh the importance of each players' fit in the offense.

With Tate on the roster, the Eagles are housing six wide receivers. If the Eagles were to bring back one or both of their injured wide receivers, a pair of fellow playmakers would probably be let go. If the team were to decide to bring back Rodgers, current backup tight end Joshua Perkins' job could be in jeopardy.

The Eagles will need to make those tough decisions in short order, as their desire for a major playoff push will be tested in the coming weeks.

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Tim Hawk | For NJ.com

The Candidates

In some respects, the limited candidate pool makes the decisions much easier. Still, with Tate now in the mix, one of the Eagles' two injured wide receivers may have had his outlook changed. The front office will have to figure out if they need an upgrade at number three tight end or if they want to back stock their wide receiving group.

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Richard Rodgers

Position: TE

Age: 26

Experience: 5th Season

2018 Salary: $720k

Injury: Knee

Thoughts: The Eagles are dealing with multiple injuries on the offensive line, so Rodgers may make sense to bring back for jumbo sets. While Perkins has played well in his role, the Eagles could see Rodgers as an upgrade as a receiver and/or blocker. Rodgers' veteran presence and playoff experience could make him an appealing return option.

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Eagles' Carson Wentz reacts to Golden Tate trade

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Mack Hollins

Position: WR

Age: 25

Experience: 2nd Season

2018 Salary: $536k

Injury: Groin

Thoughts: Hollins was a special teams standout and rotational wide receiver last season. He has some deep threat ability, which is what the Eagles have been lacking in his absence. The Eagles' special teams unit has also been banged up and Hollins could provide a boost in that department.

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Mike Wallace

Position: WR

Age: 32

Experience: 10th Season

2018 Salary: $4 million

Injury: Fractured fibula

Thoughts: The veteran suffered his leg injury during the Week 2 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While his stint on injured reserve would last a few more weeks, Wallace is probably the most appealing player of the injured trio on this list. Wallace's deep threat speed could come in handy during the playoffs.

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NJ Advance Media

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Breaking down Eagles' deal for Lions' Golden Tate

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Lori M. Nichols | For NJ.com

Potential Roster Casualties

As with any midseason roster move, a return designation for one player would signal the end of a tenure for another. Being that the candidates for comebacks impact two very similar positions, it's not much of a challenge to figure out potential roster casualties. However, narrowing down that list could prove to be difficult.

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Joshua Perkins

Position: TE

Age: 25

Experience: 3rd Season

2018 Salary: $555k

Thoughts: Perkins has a been a pleasant surprise as the Eagles' third tight end. His future with the team will come down to how much the Eagles value Rodgers at this point.

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Shelton Gibson

Position: WR

Age: 24

Experience: 2nd season

2018 Salary: $555k

Thoughts: Gibson has provided support on special teams but has yet to really carve out a role on offense. He had an impressive 48-yard catch in Week 5 against the Minnesota Vikings but hasn't been used since. He may be one of the guys to go if the Eagles bring back both Hollins and Wallace.

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Tate says playing for the Eagles is 'an extreme blessing'

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Jordan Matthews

Position: WR

Age: 26

Experience: 5th Season

2018 Salary: $790k

Thoughts: Matthews' impressive Week 8 performance in the win over the Jacksonville Jaguars may have saved his roster spot. With Tate on the roster, his playing time will probably decrease. Still, he has proven that he can be a contributor at this point.

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DeAndre Carter

Position: WR

Age: 25

Experience: 1st Season

2018 Salary: $480k

Thoughts: Carter's future on the active roster is tied to both injured reserve and Darren Sproles. If the veteran running back is able to return from his hamstring injury, he will probably take back the punt returner job from Carter. If that happens, Carter's roster spot is in danger with two wide receivers potentially returning to the mix.

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NJ Advance Media

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