ORLANDO -- The market is diminishing, and the New England Patriots' asking price to acquire quarterback Drew Bledsoe is not, so coach Bill Belichick on Tuesday for the first time suggested an alternative for the nine-year veteran and former starter: staying with the Patriots for another season.

	Bledsoe

"There's no reason we couldn't keep both (quarterbacks) if we wanted," said Belichick, referring to Bledsoe and starter Tom Brady. "It wouldn't be impossible. If we had to, we could fit both of them under the salary cap. I wouldn't see a problem with that."

Bledsoe might feel differently, although his agent, David Dunn, has declined to discuss what will happen if his client isn't traded by training camp time. Bledsoe told Patriots coaches in the week preceding Super Bowl XXXVI that he will not be as accommodating in 2002 as he was in 2001. His message, basically, was that would not come back as the No. 2 quarterback.

Certainly the market for Bledsoe, who suffered internal injuries in the second game of the 2001 season and then lost his job to Brady, has not been a strong one. New England officials haven't been proactive in shopping Bledsoe around the league and no team has formally offered the Pats a trade proposal. Even an informal poll of general managers and owners here for the annual NFL meetings indicated interest in Bledsoe is sparse.

Denver coach Mike Shanahan claimed on Sunday he might be interested in Bledsoe, then quickly backed off his statements, saying Monday he will not sacrifice draft choices to acquire him. Tom Donahoe, the Buffalo general manager, reiterated Tuesday the Bills are intrigued by Bledsoe, and said there have been discussions with New England officials.

But he emphasized that the Patriots did not set a price on what it would take to get Bledsoe, said he did not know if New England would deal him within the division, and noted that he will not overpay to land the veteran quarterback.

Donahoe hinted the Bills might be willing to part with a third-round draft choice for Bledsoe, but not much more than that.

Some personnel directors have said that, in a shrinking market, the Patriots could have a difficult time completing a market value trade. Others contend that, because Bledsoe has indicated he won't return as the backup to Brady again, the Pats will be forced to eventually release him.

"I just don't think anyone has made them a firm offer," Donahoe said.

A few hours earlier, Belichick said the Patriots won't just give Bledsoe away. High-ranking Patriots team officials told ESPN.com earlier this week that releasing Bledsoe would be a last resort, an option the club has yet to even discuss internally. Team officials feel the market for Bledsoe will pick up just before the draft next month, but others doubt that will be the case.

"All I know is we're not going to be 'taken' on this," said one Patriots official. "We're not going to cave and just give (Bledsoe) away."

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.