FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) -Calvin Pace’s unworn No. 97 jersey hung neatly in his locker. Across the room, Shaun Ellis’ green and white No. 92 was similarly untouched.
They served as subtle reminders that the New York Jets will be without their playmaking linebacker and defensive end for the season opener at Houston because of league-mandated suspensions.
“It’s kind of tough because they’re obviously two of our best players,” linebacker Vernon Gholston said Tuesday. “But it’s something we’ve been preparing for for a little bit.”
Pace, who had a career-high seven sacks in his first season with the Jets, was suspended for the first four games for violating the NFL’s on performance-enhancing substances. Meanwhile, Ellis was suspended for one game and fined $100,000 by the league for his marijuana-related arrest last November.
Those are two big absences for a defense that’s going to be heavily relied upon.
`We’ve got enough good players on this team and we’ve got guys who are going to be asked to step up in a bigger role than maybe they thought they would’ve.”
Gholston, last year’s first-round pick, will start in Pace’s place Sunday. Mike DeVito, a third-year player, is expected to be recovered from a right hamstring injury and fill in for Ellis.
“You don’t have to go do something Herculean,” Ryan said. “We just want you to give us everything you’ve got. That’s it. You don’t have to be Superman. Everything you’ve got, and we’ll live with it. We’ll live with the results.”
Gholston struggled to get on the field consistently last season, and was slow to make the transition from defensive end to outside linebacker. Ryan has talked up Gholston since training camp,
“For me, it’s about what I’ve said all along,” Gholston said. “It’s about coming out here and doing my best in the game, knowing what I’m doing.”
The former Ohio State star had a breakthrough moment last week when he sacked Michael Vick in the preseason finale. After having a sack negated by a penalty the previous week, he finally got his first since being drafted sixth overall.
“It felt good,” Gholston said. “It was my first in the NFL, but I’ve had some before and I’ll continue to get them. The biggest thing, of course, is trying to get one this week and just keep going with it.”
DeVito was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Maine in 2007, and made the 53-man roster that season. He played seven games as a rookie, but appeared in all 16 last season and notched 28 tackles.
The 6-foot-3, 305-pound DeVito has been limited by the hamstring injury, but said he’d “definitely” be ready to go against the Texans.
“I feel really good,” he said. “I’ve been able to get a break this last week and this past weekend, getting my legs back and my upper body back, so everything’s feeling really good. I’m working on my flexibility and just getting ready to go. Sunday’s going to be a big day.”
DeVito has grown close to Ellis along the way, picking his brain constantly. Ellis has also spoken highly of DeVito.
“Shaun’s like my older brother,” DeVito said. “I really appreciate everything he has done for me. He really has taken me under his wing from the beginning.”
Both Gholston and DeVito realize that the Texans, who had the league’s third-best offense last season, could target them as weak spots in the Jets defense.
“If they target me, they target me,” DeVito said. “But that’s what I’m getting paid for, to go out there and do my job.”
Sione Pouha and Ropati Pitoitua are also expected to see increased playing time at defensive end against the Texans.
“You’ve just got to be ready at all positions,” said Pouha, normally Kris Jenkins’ backup at nose tackle. “You don’t want a falloff when another guy goes in or out, and that’s been our emphasis ever since Rex got here. It’s the same intensity and same strengths so there’s no downfall or any disadvantages when situations like this happen.”
NOTES: Ryan will choose four team captains before each game rather than have the players vote for a full-season designation. “I don’t believe in having the same captains for every game,” he said. “I like to rotate the guys.” … Ryan hopes to have rookie RB Shonn Greene, dealing with a rib cartilage injury, for the game. … Ryan laughed at the notion that the Jets acquired backup QB Kevin O’Connell from Detroit to get information about New England, which cut O’Connell last week. “If he’s got something, then, yes, absolutely,” Ryan said with a smile. “If you’ve got anything to help us, go for it, but that’s not why we brought him here.” Ryan added that the Jets were high on the third-rounder last year, and pointed out that New York also carried four quarterbacks last season.
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