Jets OLB Calvin Pace has been suspended the first four games of the season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances, the league announced on Thursday. The suspension is effective as of Sept. 5, eight days before the Jets’ season opener at Houston, and ends following the Jets’ Week Four matchup at New Orleans.

The NFL does not disclose the specific substances that violators ingest, and Pace contends in a statement released by the team that the banned substance was not illegal.

“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,” the statement reads. “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.”

Added the Jets, “We respect the League’s decision and look forward to Calvin’s return for our Monday Night game at Miami.”

Banned substances contained in over-the-counter supplements have been a contentious issue throughout the NFL this offseason. Six players, including four starting defensive linemen on the Vikings and Saints, have been suspended for the first four games of 2009 for taking the weight-loss supplement StarCaps, which can mask steroid use.

A blockbuster free-agent signing from Arizona last offseason, Pace contributed 80 tackles in 16 starts in 2008. He finished second on the team with seven sacks and forced five fumbles.

The PFW spin

Although Pace’s suspension will force new coach Rex Ryan to tinker with his lineup, this isn’t a crushing blow to the club’s hopes for a turnaround following their bitter ending to ’08. In terms of importance to the defense, Pace ranks below D-linemen Kris Jenkins and Shaun Ellis, fellow LBs Bart Scott and David Harris, as well as DBs Darrelle Revis and Kerry Rhodes.

The solid numbers the ex-Cardinal tallied a season ago are a bit misleading, as his solid contributions came with numerous periods of inconsistency in former coach Eric Mangini’s conservative 3-4 scheme. Yet the early returns from spring ball were encouraging for Pace and the rest of the club’s high-profile linebackers, as they had been responding well to the more-attacking, less-structured scheme that Ryan has implemented.

Pace’s suspension also presents a golden opportunity for 2008 first-round pick Vernon Gholston to atone for a disastrous rookie campaign. Gholston, a physical marvel, had so much difficulty adapting to his OLB job after playing defensive end at Ohio State that he was declared inactive for the regular-season finale.

However, Gholston’s no lock to be automatically shuffled into the starting lineup, with his training camp and preseason performances looming large.