FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- There are two layers that come to the forefront with Friday's news that New England Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich will serve a four-game suspension to open the 2016 season -- the personal aspect of the news and then the football side of it.

Ask many of the reporters who cover the team about the personal side, and there would likely be universal agreement that Ninkovich has been one of the solid citizens in the locker room. He has been with the club since 2009, making him one of the longest-tenured players on the team, and has regularly held himself accountable publicly. While some players prefer to stay in the background during trying times, Ninkovich has never backed away from the front lines, which is partly why he was elected a captain in 2015.

So, first and foremost, there is empathy for one of the team's true leaders for what he says is an honest mistake.

As for the football side of things, Ninkovich was highly unlikely to be playing through most of the first quarter of the season because of a torn triceps muscle sustained in early August. While he had returned to practice on a limited basis recently, he was still a considerable ways away from playing.

Thus, the suspension actually helps the Patriots in the sense that Ninkovich won't count against the 53-man roster through the first quarter of the season, which allows the club to keep another player who otherwise wouldn't have made it.

The Patriots will miss his pass-rush ability, intelligence, versatility and leadership, likely turning to nine-year veteran Chris Long to fill the void. The longtime Ram, hampered by knee and ankle injuries the past two seasons, is healthy again and playing with some of the old explosion that helped him total 41.5 sacks from 2010 to 2013.

"Chris has had a good camp, he's been out there every day. He works extremely hard and is a very competitive player both in games and in practice. He kind of only knows one speed. Obviously, he's been coming off a couple years where he's been banged up a little bit, but he certainly seems healthy now, and he's made a lot of progress," coach Bill Belichick said during his 98.5 The Sports Hub pre-game interview Thursday.

In addition to Long, the Patriots project to start Jabaal Sheard at the opposite defensive-end spot, assuming he is ready to go after a knee injury sustained in the preseason opener Aug. 11. That's a solid 1-2 combination, and then second-year players Trey Flowers, Geneo Grissom and Rufus Johnson are on the depth chart, while Shea McClellin also fits into that mix if healthy (he's been sidelined since the preseason opener). Newly acquired Barkevious Mingo, while appearing to be more of an off-the-line linebacker, could also take some reps on the line at defensive end as well.

So it's a deep position for the Patriots, arguably the deepest on the roster. If everyone is healthy, the Patriots have no shortage of options that can help bridge the gap until Ninkovich returns.