BOSTON -- The NFL suspended New England Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich on Friday for the first four games of the regular season for violating the NFLs policy on performance enhancing substances.It is the latest blow to the Patriots, who will also be without quarterback Tom Brady the first four games as he serves a league-imposed suspension for his role in the Deflategate case.Like Brady, Ninkovich will not be eligible to return to the Patriots active roster until Oct. 3 following the teams game against the Buffalo Bills.The 32-year-old has not played this preseason after suffering a reported triceps injury during a joint training camp practice with the Saints on Aug. 9. He had returned to practice recently, but had only participated in light conditioning.Ninkovich was a defensive captain in 2015 and had 52 tackles and 6 1/2 sacks.More than his production, he has been New Englands ironman on defense, playing in 102 consecutive regular-season games. That is behind only Green Bays Julius Peppers and Indianapolis Kendall Langford, who have both played in 128 straight games.The Patriots had already been making plans for Ninkovich to be out to start the regular season because of the triceps injury, and have gotten solid production out of free agent pickup Chris Long this preseason.Long started all four preseason games and is expected to start in the regular season, along with Jabaal Sheard.Ninkovich recently praised how well Long has caught on to the Patriots system, calling him a sponge since his arrival. He said sitting out with this injury has been particularly difficult after not missing a regular-season start the past six seasons.Its really hard, I havent had to deal with anything like this in a long time, Ninkovich said last week. So Im just trying to work as hard as I can, and do the only thing I know how to do, and thats try to work hard to get back.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower Jake Peavy Jersey . -- Three close looks at the bucket, three misses. Andy Benes Jersey . How great will be revealed in the next couple of days at the board of governors meeting in Pebble Beach, Calif. https://www.cheappadresjerseys.us/793m-johnny-grubb-jersey-padres.html . Kiriasis and brakeman Franziska Fritz finished two runs in one minute 55.41 seconds -- a mere 0.01 seconds ahead of Meyers and Lolo Jones, who likely bolstered her Olympic hopes by helping give USA-1 a huge push in the second heat. Luis Urias Jersey . Halifax beat the Saint John Sea Dogs 7-5 on the strength of two goals apiece from Nikolaj Ehlers, Matt Murphy and Brent Andrews. Jonathan Drouin also scored and had three assists while Zachary Fucale made 17 saves for the Mooseheads (16-8-0), who led 6-1 after two periods. Ken Caminiti Jersey . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. Dennis Schroder and the Atlanta Hawks have come to terms on a four-year contract extension. The deal is worth $70 million, ESPN.com has learned.Sources say $62 million of Schroders new deal is guaranteed -- at a flat annual rate of $15.5 million -- with the remaining $8 million achievable through incentives.Schroder becomes the third member of the NBAs 2013 draft class to land an extension before Mondays annual Halloween deadline for deals, joining Portlands C.J. McCollum and Milwaukees Giannis Antetokounmpo.ddddddddddddThe deal represents an additional boost of confidence from Hawks management in Schroder, who ?became Atlantas new starting point guard when the club elected to trade former All-Star Jeff Teague to Indiana in the offseason.The Hawks open their season Thursday night against the Washington Wizards. ' ' '