Drew Bledsoe has signed with Dallas and Muhsin Muhammad with the Bears. Ty Law has drawn interest from several teams. The Tennessee Six, especially Samari Rolle and Derrick Mason, are hot commodities on the free-agent market.

As the signing period begins today, the players most in demand are those who have been released by their former employers or are about to be — as good or better than the rest of the free agents.

The reason: Most teams now recognize it’s best to keep your own, especially your stars. So good players go on the market only when there are salary-cap issues or personality pressures — as with Randy Moss, whose trade from Minnesota to Oakland most likely will be made official in the next couple of days.

This year, with the cap at $85.5 million, $5 million more than last season, the best potential free agents have been protected with franchise tags or re-signed, including offensive tackles Orlando Pace and Walter Jones; running backs Edgerrin James and Shaun Alexander; wide receiver Jerry Porter; cornerback Charles Woodson, and quarterbacks Matt Hasselbeck and Drew Brees.

A lot of lesser players also are off the market as teams try to remain as cohesive as possible.

“The most important thing for us is having a certain group of guys to build around,” said Washington coach Joe Gibbs, who last year inherited an offense of ill-fitting parts, the product of futile spending for half a decade by owner Daniel Snyder. “We want to honor those guys that played hard for us that we feel are Redskins.”

Still, Washington is part of one of the early dramas of free agency: what to do with wide receiver Laveranues Coles, signed two years ago from the New York Jets and paid a $13 million signing bonus. Coles, who had 90 receptions last season, wants to be traded because he believes Gibbs’ offense emphasizes the run too much.

The Redskins had talks with the Jets about sending him back in return for Santana Moss, but that now seems unlikely. If they release him, it could cost them more than $7 million in salary-cap space because of the prorated bonus.

The prototypical 2005 free agent may be Buffalo’s Jonas Jennings, an offensive tackle who probably will be in demand simply because numerous teams need help at that position and he’s probably the best remaining available tackle. He’ll command big money even though he’s far below Jones and Pace — he’s thought to be seeking a contract in the area of the $36 million, seven-year deal signed by Indianapolis’ tackle Ryan Diem.

“My feeling is that because there are more top players being franchised or being retained by their clubs, more money will be thrown at fewer players. It will be expensive,” New York Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi said.

The marquee name on the market is Plaxico Burress, the Pittsburgh wide receiver.

But he also carries a “buyer beware” tag. He’s been inconsistent, and the Steelers declined to protect him as a franchise player — similar to three-time champion New England and Philadelphia, the Steelers often are willing to let their own go if they aren’t worth the price.