New England Patriots

Ripple effects of Rob Ninkovich receiving four-game suspension

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Jan 3, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) takes a hit from New England Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich (50) in the third quarter at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Duyos-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots will be without defensive end Rob Ninkovich for the first four games of the 2016 regular season.

As first reported by ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Ninkovich tested positively for a banned substance. Ninkovich claims he was shocked by the results, emphasizing that he was unaware that he ever ingested an outlawed substance.

Here is what Ninkovich told ESPN:

Any supplement I’ve ever used was bought at a store. I was unaware something I bought had a substance in it that would give me a positive test because it wasn’t listed [as an ingredient].

One thing I have learned is that if a supplement is not NSF certified there are no regulations that ensure that what is on the label is 100 percent accurate. That is a hard lesson for me to learn at this stage in my career, but I take responsibility for it. It’s a mistake I made and it hurts that I won’t be there for my teammates.

This is not your typical athlete denial story, as Ninkovich is one of the hardest workers in the NFL and carries himself with the utmost integrity. This writer believes Ninkovich made an honest mistake.

Nonetheless, Ninkovich will miss the first four games of 2016, which calls for a look at the ripple effects. Here we go:

Sep 1, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New England Patriots defensive end Chris Long (95) against the New York Giants in the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports

3. Chris Long will start.

Now that Ninkovich is out of the picture for the time being, Long will step into a starting role for the Patriots playing alongside Jabaal Sheard. And it’s not like that’s a bad thing, as Long has consistently been one of the most impressive players during Patriots preseason, constantly putting pressure on the quarterback and playing with an energy and fire you would expect to see out of a veteran who has spent the past eight years playing with a perennial cellar dweller.

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With Long starting, Trey Flowers will start the year as the sure-fire No. 3 defensive end. Such a spot on the depth chart will be good for the sophomore pro, who essentially redshirted the 2015 season after suffering a season-ending injury last preseason.

Sep 1, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants cornerback Michael Hunter (39) fumbles the ball while being tackled by New England Patriots Barkevious Mingo (51) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

2. Barkevious Mingo will see more snaps at the edge.

In yesterday’s preseason finale, we saw Mingo line up in a variety of places, but with Ninkovich out, expect the Patriots to place Mingo on the edge with more regularity. On several occasions when Mingo was split outside on the defensive line, he caused positive plays for the Patriots, such as his forced fumble of Ryan Nassib and his tackle for a loss on Orleans Darkwa.

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Honestly, having Mingo line up at the outside linebacker/defensive end spot is a dream scenario for the Patriots, as it would allow them to have Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower on the field at the same time as the former Cleveland Browns linebacker. Mingo can be a liability in run defense, so it could be for the best that he gets snaps on the edge during Ninkovich’s absence.

Jan 3, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; New England Patriots defensive lineman Geneo Grissom (92) celebrates a sack against the Miami Dolphins in the first quarter at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Duyos-USA TODAY Sports

1. Geneo Grissom could make the 53-man roster.

After last night, Grissom’s chances of making the final Patriots roster were looking mighty thin. With Ninkovich, Sheard, Flowers and Shea McClellin entrenched on the final roster, there just wasn’t room for Grissom. But now that the Patriots have lost Ninkovich for the month of September and first week of October, the possibility of Grissom making the team is a bit more realistic.

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That being said, don’t bet your mortgage on Grissom landing on the 53-man roster tomorrow afternoon. Depending on how the Patriots shuffle their roster around with bubble players at other positions, Grissom could be structurally pushed out of a roster spot due to his lack of exceptional special teams value. Nonetheless, the loss of Ninkovich for the foreseeable future certainly helps Grissom a bit in the present.

Let’s hope that Ninkovich doesn’t get barraged in the mainstream media for this. He’s one of the NFL’s good guys.