by MARK CANNIZZARO , The New York Post

Pace's suspension begins on Sept. 5, which means he will miss the season opener in Houston on Sept. 13, and he will not be eligible to return to the team's active roster until Oct. 5, following its Oct. 4 game against the Saints in New Orleans.

Pace, however, will be eligible to participate in all training camp practices and preseason games.

"This is a situation that resulted from an over-the-counter dietary supplement that contained a substance that I did not know violated the league's policy," Pace said in a statement. "I am responsible for what I put into my body, and I should have paid closer attention to the league's guidelines.

"I regret that this has happened and apologize to my teammates, the entire Jets organization as well as the fans. Hopefully, this does not distract from our ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl."

The Jets issued this statement: "We respect the league's decision and look forward to Calvin's return for our Monday night game at Miami."

The 6-foot-4, 270-pound Pace was one of the Jets' marquee free agent acquisitions before the 2008 season, signing a six-year, $42 million deal with a $20 million signing bonus, and was one of the defensive leaders last season.

He had a career-high seven sacks in 2008 and also had 12 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, five forced fumbles and four recoveries.

His absence for the first four games will create a significant opportunity for 2008 first-round draft pick Vernon Gholston, who was a disappointment in his rookie season.

Other young outside linebackers who could benefit from Pace's absence include Marques Murrell and Jason Trusnik. Rex Ryan praised Murrell as one of the best performers in the team's minicamp last month.

Bu the spotlight surely will be on Gholston, who finished with just four tackles and no sacks in 15 games played.

"I expect to be on the field more and to play more," Gholston said during the May minicamp. "For me it's not about proving something. It's about just going out there and doing it. I expect to play at a high level, and I expect to be one of the best players.

"To say that's going to happen tomorrow, it's probably not. To say it's going to happen in a year, it's probably not. But at some point that's my expectation."

Ryan, who has been talking Gholston up in a big way during this offseason, sounded like he expects big things from him.

"I'm confident in what I see right now," Ryan said. "He realizes now that this is it. We all know he's strong. He's all that kind of stuff. Now let's see it on the field. I think he's starting to show that. I just know he's going to be a big part of what we do and a big part of our success."

For the sake of the Jets' defense as it deals with the absence of Pace for the first four games, Gholston needs to be a big part of their success right away.

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