The Miami Dolphins moved quickly to find a replacement for injured Phillip Merling.
The team agreed to a two-year, $2.5 million deal with free-agent defensive end Marques Douglas, a league source told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora on Friday.
Douglas shores up a position that was depleted when Merling recently suffered an Achilles' tendon injury that will force him to miss the entire season.
Douglas, 33, spent the 2009 season with the AFC East rival New York Jets and finished with 64 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He also has played for the Baltimore Ravens (1999, 2001-04, 2008), New Orleans Saints (2000) and San Francisco 49ers (2005-07)
Douglas will rejoin Mike Nolan, the Dolphins' new defensive coordinator. They were together in San Francisco and Baltimore.
Merling, who played mostly as a reserve in 2008 and 2009, was hurt while preparing for the start of training camp next Friday. His status already was in question after he was arrested in May and charged with felony battery against his pregnant girlfriend.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
