FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — For the second year in a row, the Atlanta Falcons are playing musical chairs along the offensive line.

Center Joe Hawley (right knee) and right tackle Lamar Holmes (right foot) were lost for the season and placed on injured reserve. The team previously lost starting left tackle Sam Baker to a season-ending knee injury.

Also, left guard Justin Blalock, who started 102 consecutive regular season games, did not practice on Wednesday after he suffered a lower back injury against Minnesota and didn’t return to the game.

“You hate to lose guys, but when you lose them it’s another guy’s opportunity to play,” Smith said. “It’s a ‘no blink’ mentality. You move on and keep working.”

The Falcons also lost reserve offensive linemen Mike Johnson, a tackle-guard, in August.

Peter Konz will replace Hawley at center and Gabe Carimi takes over for Holmes at right tackle. The Falcons signed two linemen for depth: veteran free agent Cameron Bradfield and Harland Gunn, who was promoted from the practice squad.

Gunn would likely start at left guard if Blalock’s back doesn’t respond to treatment.

Few if any teams in the NFL suffered as many major injuries to key players as the Falcons in 2013.

Their luck isn’t much better so far one year later.

In addition to the line being ravaged, starting safety William Moore (shoulder) will miss at least eight weeks after being placed on short-term injured reserve.

Moore will not be eligible to practice for six weeks and can’t play until two weeks after he resumes practicing. That means he will miss at least seven games and could return to play, at most, the final five games.

Second-year player Kemal Ishmael will replace Moore. Rookie safety Dezmen Southward and Sean Baker, signed from the practice squad, will provide depth behind Ishmael and veteran starter Dwight Lowery.

The Falcons’ rebuilt offensive line has generally performed well this season, especially in pass protection. Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said the group has “absolutely” been better than last season, when it was among the worst units in the league that gave up 44 sacks.

Now the group will have to deal with yet another reshuffling.

Konz, a second-round pick in the 2012 draft, was the starter at right guard as a rookie. But he couldn’t hold the starting center job in 2013 and began this season as a reserve.

He focused on building strength during the offseason and Koetter said Konz’s increased physicality has been apparent in video review. Before Hawley was placed on IR, Konz said he was eager to redeem himself.

“If I have to be in there, I’ve done it before,” he said. “I know I can go in there and do a great job.”

Carimi has played 72 percent of the snaps this season (201 of 281) with time spent at both tackle spots and left guard. He had a poor game in the opener against the Saints, when he was penalized three times, but performed better in the past three games.

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is confident that the line can hold up.

“(Offensive line coach) Mike Tice has done a really good with those guys this entire year,” Ryan said. “We have guys who’ve had more experience playing. Last year, it was a lot of people’s first opportunity when they were thrown into the fire. They have some experience under their belts now.”

NOTES: WR Harry Douglas (foot) did not practice Wednesday. … WR Devin Hester (ankle), SS Kemal Ishmael (ankle), LB Prince Shembo (knee) and WR Julio Jones (ankle) were limited in practice Wednesday.