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With the release of right tackle Tyson Clabo and the retirement of center Todd McClure, the Atlanta Falcons have a lot of uncertainty on their offensive line.

Coach Mike Smith didn’t set forth any concrete plan Thursday night at the team’s State of the Franchise event.

“There’s going to be an open, big competition with our offensive line,’’ Smith said. “We’ve got some young guys that we’ve drafted and they’re ready to step in and do it. I can’t say to you right now who’s going to line up (where), but it’s going to be very, very competitive.’’

Smith did reveal that the departures of Clabo and McClure mean there likely will be three new starters on the offensive line. Smith said Peter Konz, who spent most of his rookie season at right guard, will move inside and compete with Joe Hawley for the starting spot at center.

I think it’s fair to say that Konz is the favorite to win that job. But the right guard and right tackle positions appear to be wide open.

Smith said Garrett Reynolds and Mike Johnson will compete for the starting job at right guard and Johnson will compete with Lamar Holmes for the starting spot at right tackle. Holmes and Johnson are recent draft choices who haven’t received a lot of playing time. But that appears likely to change.

“The one thing I think everyone needs to understand about our movement is that we have drafted young guys to learn and be schooled and learn along the way,’’ general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. “This is the time where they need to step up. This is their time. We needed to do this. It’s time for our young guys to develop and we have faith in them.’’

The Atlanta Falcons have been fairly active this offseason and are likely to have several new starters next season. At the moment, here’s how I see Atlanta’s starting lineup:

OFFENSE

WR Roddy White

LT Sam Baker

LG Justin Blalock

C Peter Konz

RG Garrett Reynolds

RT Lamar Holmes

TE Tony Gonzalez

WR Julio Jones

QB Matt Ryan

RB Steven Jackson

FB Bradie Ewing

DEFENSE

DE Osi Umenyiora

DT Corey Peters

DT Jonathan Babineaux

DE Kroy Biermann

OLB Stephen Nicholas

MLB Akeem Dent

OLB Sean Weatherspoon

CB Asante Samuel

CB Robert McClain

SS William Moore

FS Thomas DeCoud

Notes: I think it is almost a certainty that the Falcons will be bringing in another cornerback late in free agency or in the draft. McClain might be best suited as a third corner. There’s flexibility on the offensive line. There’s an outside chance Joe Hawley could factor in at center, allowing Konz to start at right guard. If that happens, Reynolds could slide out to compete with Holmes at right tackle. The Falcons also could invest an early-round pick on an offensive lineman.

It has to be a bittersweet time for the Atlanta Falcons with center Todd McClure saying he’s going to retire.

A formal announcement is expected after owner Arthur Blank returns from next week's NFL meetings. Let’s start this off by sending some kudos McClure’s way. Drafted by Atlanta in 1999, McClure has been a fixture on the offensive line through some very good times and some bad times. He’s been a class act all the way and still was playing at a high level last season.

But McClure said it’s time to move on.

That means it also is time for the Falcons to move on. Replacing McClure’s leadership and experience won’t be easy. But the Falcons do have some other options at center and they’ve prepared for this moment by drafting Peter Konz and Joe Hawley in recent years.

The most likely scenario is Konz, who started at guard the second half of last season, shifting to center. That’s the position Konz played in college. If Konz makes the move, it could clear the way for Garrett Reynolds to move back in as a starting guard.

Reynolds began last season as a starter. But he suffered an injury and was replaced by Konz.

Considering injuries played such a big part in holding him back the first four years of his career, Atlanta tackle Sam Baker reached a remarkable milestone in the 2012 season. The left tackle did not miss a single snap.

Baker participated in all of Atlanta’s 1,060 offensive plays. So did guard Justin Blalock.

Let’s take a look at the rest of the playing time percentages for the rest of Atlanta’s offense.

• Tackle Tyson Clabo 99.06

• Quarterback Matt Ryan 99.06

• Center Todd McClure 98.68

• Receiver Roddy White 93.21

• Tight end Tony Gonzalez 91.13

• Receiver Julio Jones 78.87

• Guard Peter Konz 68.0

• Receiver Harry Douglas 55.28

• Running back Michael Turner 44.91

• Running back Jacquizz Rodgers 43.87

• Guard Garrett Reynolds 37.17

• Running back Jason Snelling 21.6

• Tight end Michael Palmer 14.91

• Fullback Mike Cox 12.92

• Receiver Drew Davis 12.26

• Guard Mike Johnson 10.0

• Fullback Lousaka Polite 9.15

• Tight end Tommy Gallarda 8.02

• Center/guard Joe Hawley 1.89

• Receiver Kevin Cone 1.7

• Quarterback Luke McCown 0.94

• Tackle Lamar Holmes 0.66

• Running back Antone Smith 0.57

• Tight end Chase Coffman 0.47

We already showed you the playing-time breakdown for the Atlanta Falcons defense.

Now, let’s switch over to the offensive side, where the Falcons had 1,073 plays. Here’s the complete breakdown of how many snaps each offensive player got, followed by my thoughts:

• Sam Baker 1,073

• Justin Blalock 1,073

• Tyson Clabo 1,063

• Matt Ryan 1,063

• Todd McClure 1,059

• Roddy White 998

• Tony Gonzalez 978

• Julio Jones 846

• Peter Konz 684

• Harry Douglas 592

• Michael Turner 481

• Jacquizz Rodgers 470

• Garrett Reynolds 400

• Jason Snelling 232

• Michael Palmer 159

• Mike Cox 137

• Drew Davis 133

• Mike Johnson 109

• Lousaka Polite 99

• Tommy Gallarda 85

• Joe Hawley 22

• Kevin Cone 18

• Luke McCown 10

• Lamar Holmes 7

• Antone Smith 6

• Chase Coffman 5

My thoughts: In the final analysis, the Falcons had Rodgers on the field about as much as Turner. Limiting Turner’s playing time was a goal at the start of the season and Rodgers seemed to gain more trust from the coaching staff as time went on. … Konz was the only member of the rookie class to get much playing time. Although some fans thought Holmes had a chance to start, the team viewed him as a project. … Baker played every snap and stayed healthy for an entire season. He turned in a solid year and that probably means the Falcons will make a fairly strong effort to keep him from leaving as a free agent.

The Atlanta Falcons got some much-needed depth back on their offensive line Monday afternoon.

The team announced that Joe Hawley has been put back on the active roster after serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. The Falcons made room for Hawley by placing wide receiver Kevin Cone on injured reserve.

Prior to his suspension, Hawley was the top backup to center Todd McClure and guards Justin Blalock and Peter Konz. Hawley likely will step immediately back into that same role.

It’s been a pretty quiet day in the NFC South. That’s not uncommon because Tuesday generally is a day with no practices and a day off for players. But we’ve got a few odds and ends worth noting.

• Tampa Bay safety Ronde Barber has the longest active streak of games started at 209. Washington linebacker London Fletcher (193) is the next guy on the list and his streak may end due to an injury. It’s the same story for Detroit center Jeff Backus, who is third with 186 consecutive starts. Barber is tied with Fletcher for the most consecutive games played in (234) and Barber could have sole possession of that if Fletcher sits out.

• The Buccaneers announced that cornerback Anthony Gaitor, who was on injured reserve with the eligible-to-return designation will begin practicing Wednesday. Gaitor’s return could give the Bucs some much-needed depth because starter Eric Wright has been dealing with an Achilles tendon injury.

• With center/guard Joe Hawley suspended for four games after violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances, the Falcons filled his roster spot by signing guard Harland Gunn. An undrafted free agent this year, Gunn first was signed by the Dallas Cowboys and then spent time on the New Orleans practice squad.

• The Saints are dealing with a similar situation on their offensive line with right tackles Zach Strief and Charles Brown both dealing with injuries. As a result of that, the Saints have signed offensive lineman William Robinson, who was on the New Orleans practice squad last year.

Time for a run through the top headlines of the day from around the NFC South.

ATLANTA FALCONS

The agent for backup center/guard Joe Hawley said his client’s four-game suspension is due to using the prescription drug Adderall in September without filling out the proper paperwork with the NFL. It’s unclear if Hawley had a prescription. But NFL rules are very clear that it is a banned substance unless it’s use is approved by the league in individual cases. The agent also said Hawley is not appealing the suspension.

Although cornerback Asante Samuel, receiver Julio Jones and defensive tackle Peria Jerry all were banged up Sunday, coach Mike Smith said Monday he feels comfortable with his team’s injury situation.

CAROLINA PANTHERS

Coach Ron Rivera said he’s had several recent conversations with owner Jerry Richardson and knows his future is uncertain in Carolina. It’s good that Rivera recognizes that because it’s pretty obvious to the entire world that he’s on the hot seat. Rivera’s a great guy and I think he could be a successful head coach in the right situation. But, unless the Panthers have some sort of dramatic turnaround in the coming weeks, I don’t see any scenario where Rivera remains as their coach next season.

Defensive end Charles Johnson took to Twitter to imply that some of his teammates are not working hard enough after Carolina’s defense collapsed late in Sunday’s loss to Tampa Bay. It’s good that someone is asking for accountability. But I’m not sure Twitter is the best means to accomplish that. Maybe former general manager Marty Hurney had a point when, on the day he was fired, he said the team didn’t have enough leaders stepping forward. Johnson’s message might carry a little more weight if he delivered it in the locker room instead of on the computer.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

After sitting out the first six weeks of the season while recovering from knee problems, Jonathan Vilma is starting to get more playing time at weak-side linebacker. He played on 74 percent of the defensive snaps in Sunday’s victory at Oakland. New Orleans’ maligned defense has started to play better recently and I don’t think that it’s just a coincidence that things have started to turn as Vilma gets more playing time.

Interim head coach Joe Vitt said the knee injury to right tackle Charles Brown still is being evaluated. Brown had been starting in place of Zach Strief, who has been out with a groin injury. Rookie Bryce Harris filled in after Brown’s injury Sunday and Vitt did not rule out the possibility of the Saints signing another tackle for the short term.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Stephen Holder writes that cornerback Aqib Talib’s debut with the Patriots was pretty similar to what he did during his time with the Bucs. Talib had an interception and returned it for a touchdown Sunday, but he also gave up two touchdowns. It’s all or nothing with Talib. He’s talented, but consistency never has been his strong point. The Patriots are finding that out quickly. We’ll see if they also get to find out that Talib has a tendency to find problems off the field.

Speaking of Tampa Bay and the situation at cornerback, Eric Wright sounded a little ominous when he said “we might have to make a decision’’. Wright has been dealing with a linger injury to his Achilles tendon and he at list left the impression that going on injured reserve is a possibility. Beyond Wright, the Bucs don’t have much depth at cornerback.

On the surface, this might not seem like a very big deal but there’s some news out of Atlanta on Monday afternoon that could turn out to be very significant for the Atlanta Falcons.

Joe Hawley, the team’s top backup at center and guard, has been suspended for four games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances, the league announced.

That leaves the Falcons one injury away from major problems. The suspension begins immediately and Hawley will be eligible to return after the Dec. 16. game with the Giants. In the meantime, the Falcons will be dangerously thin in the middle of their defensive line.

Hawley started 12 games last year and has been the top backup to 35-year-old center Todd McClure. Hawley also was the top backup for starting guards Peter Konz and Justin Blalock. Konz, a rookie, recently took over a starting job from Garrett Reynolds, who went on injured reserve.

The Falcons likely will have to add some depth to their interior line in the interim. Konz played center in college and could move there if something happens to McClure. But the depth is very limited at guard with former practice-squad player Phillipkeith Manley as the only backup on the current roster.

In an emergency backup tackles Mike Johnson and Lamar Holmes could slide inside. For the next four games, the Falcons could be one play away from an emergency.

The big topic in Atlanta this week is the Falcons’ short-yardage running game.

It should be because the Falcons are a yard away from being 9-0. They had three plays at the New Orleans 1-yard line late in Sunday’s game, but couldn’t score. Two Matt Ryan passes fell incomplete, but the play most people are focusing on was the third-down run where Michael Turner got stuffed.

That’s a big deal because it’s become a trend for the Falcons this year.

“They are challenging because you need 1 yard and everybody knows you need 1 yard,’’ offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter told the media Monday. “That’s what makes it challenging. It’s like you’re trying to make 1 yard and they’re trying to defend 1 yard. Maybe we ought to just pretend it’s third-and-10 and we might be better off.”

Might not be a bad idea because the Falcons aren’t getting the job done in short-yardage situations.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Turner has had nine carries inside the 3-yard line this season. They’ve resulted in two touchdowns and 1 net yard rushing. In goal-to-go situations, Turner has carried 17 times for three touchdowns and totaled 18 net yards.

But the problem isn’t just limited to the goal line. The Falcons have struggled in all short-yardage situations. When needing 2 or fewer yards on third or fourth down, the Falcons have converted 7 of 15 rushes (46.7 percent) into first downs. Only Detroit (37.5) has a worse percentage and the league average is 66.7 percent.

“It’s a bad thing,’’ Koetter said. “If you had a magic wand and could wave it, then it would be easy to fix everything if you had that magic wand.’’

There is no magic wand, but this is clearly an area where the Falcons have to improve if they’re going to go deep into the playoffs.

Let’s run through some suggestions on how to fix it:

Stop using Turner as the short-yardage back: It’s easy to put the blame on Turner. It’s pretty obvious age is catching up to him and he lacks the same explosiveness he had a few years ago. But who else are you going to turn to? Jason Snelling has good size, but he never has been a great short-yardage runner. Jacquizz Rodgers doesn’t have great size, but he’s got some muscle on him, is quick and can find holes. If you’re going to make a switch, Rodgers is the guy to go with. But he might not fare any better because maybe the problem isn’t all about Turner.

It starts up front: The offensive line has done a nice job pass blocking, but the overall run blocking hasn’t been good. It also didn’t help that blocking tight end Tommy Gallarda went down with a season-ending injury early in Sunday’s game. I don’t know that you can totally fix the overall run blocking in the middle of a season. But there are things you can do to help in short-yardage rushing. When the Falcons had some injuries at tight end and fullback earlier in the season, they used tackle Mike Johnson as an extra tight end and guard/center Joe Hawley as a fullback. The Falcons don’t have great blockers at tight end or fullback. It might be time to get Johnson and Hawley back on the field in those situations.

Forget the run? If everything continues to fail, maybe the Falcons should just abandon the run in goal-line situations. It wouldn’t be conventional, but it might be practical. When it comes to goal-to-goal passing, Ryan is among the league leaders. In those situations, he has completed 16 of 26 passes for 11 touchdowns.

The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints have one thing in common.

They lead the NFL in dropped passes, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The Falcons and Saints each have 15 drops.

That hasn’t been a problem for the Buccaneers and Panthers, who each have six drops.

Let’s take a little closer look at what’s going wrong for the Falcons and Saints in this department.

Atlanta’s Julio Jones is second in the league with five drops, only one behind Dallas’ Jason Witten. Jones easily has been the biggest culprit for the Falcons. Tony Gonzalez and Michael Turner each have two drops. Roddy White, who led the league with 15 drops last season, has only one. Same for Harry Douglas, Jacquizz Rodgers and Lousaka Polite.

But here’s the one that really jumped out at me about the Falcons. Joe Hawley has dropped the two passes he’s been thrown, which begs one question -- why are the Falcons throwing to Joe Hawley? I know he’s had to play a little at fullback and tight end due to some injuries. But Hawley’s an offensive lineman. I don’t care if he’s wide open, you don’t even throw the ball in his direction.

The Saints are getting their drops mostly from strength in numbers. Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston each have four drops, which ties them with a bunch of other players for third in the league. Darren Sproles and Lance Moore each have three drops. Joseph Morgan has New Orleans’ other drop.

LANDOVER, Md. -- Thoughts on the Atlanta Falcons’ 24-17 victory against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field on Sunday.

What it means: The Falcons are 5-0 for the first time in franchise history. They’re also high atop the NFC South standings. This was not a particularly pretty game, but there’s a nice trend developing. The Falcons, who many view as a “dome team," have won three outdoor games already this season. This one came on a day that was cool and rainy.

Play of the day: With the Redskins driving, cornerback Dunta Robinson saved the game for the Falcons with an interception with 1:53 remaining.

Hit of the day: Linebacker Sean Weatherspoon knocked Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III out of the game with a big hit in the third quarter. The Redskins said Griffin was “shaken up," and he did not return to the game. He was replaced by Kirk Cousins, who threw two fourth-quarter interceptions.

One thing I never want to see again: Joe Hawley attempting to catch a pass. With fullback Lousaka Polite out with an injury, the Falcons sometimes used Hawley as a blocking back. But with 5:50 left in the third quarter, the Falcons tried to throw a pass to Hawley. He was wide open, but the ball went right off his hands. When you have the talent at the skill positions that the Falcons have, Hawley should never be thrown the ball.

He never gets old: Atlanta tight end Tony Gonzalez has said he’s 95 percent sure he’ll retire after this season. He might want to rethink that. Gonzalez had a huge day, catching 13 passes for 123 yards.

What’s next: The Falcons host the Oakland Raiders next Sunday.

LANDOVER, Md. -- The Atlanta Falcons will be without starting fullback Lousaka Polite and reserve tight end Michael Palmer in Sunday’s game against the Washington Redskins.

Polite is sidelined with a hamstring injury and Palmer has been bothered by a shoulder injury. The Falcons can use running back Jason Snelling as a fullback. When Palmer and Polite were injured last week, the Falcons also used offensive linemen Mike Johnson and Joe Hawley at tight end and fullback.

The other inactives for the Falcons are quarterback Dominique Davis, cornerback Terrence Johnson, offensive tackle Lamar Holmes, defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi and defensive end Cliff Matthews.

The Friday injury reports for Sunday’s games are out, so let’s take a look at the most significant injuries around the NFC South.

Atlanta is listing safety William Moore (hip), center Todd McClure (pectoral) and fullback Lousaka Polite (hamstring) as questionable. If Moore can’t go, veteran Chris Hope likely would get the start. If McClure is out, the Falcons could go with either Joe Hawley or Peter Konz. If Polite sits out, I’d expect to see some of Jason Snelling at fullback, but I’d also expect to see the Falcons do the same thing they did last week and use some reserve offensive linemen at fullback.

The Carolina Panthers could be without two key defensive players as they play Seattle. Middle linebacker Jon Beason (knee) and cornerback Chris Gamble (shoulder) did not practice Friday and are listed as doubtful. The Panthers could play it safe and start Jason Phillips in the middle. Or they could take a chance and move outside linebacker Luke Kuechly to the middle, where he played in college. Kuechly isn’t off to a great start and switching positions could make things more difficult for him. Second-year pro Josh Thomas is the likely alternative if Gamble can’t go.

Receiver Lance Moore and linebacker David Hawthorne have been ruled out for Sunday night’s game with San Diego. With Moore out, veteran Greg Camarillo, who was re-signed this week, should get some playing time. Hawthorne missed last week’s game and so did his backup, Jonathan Casillas. But Casillas is expected to play this week, so the Saints will have to choose between him and Will Herring.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a bye, so there is no injury report for them.