Very interesting to hear Tiki Barber, the twin brother of Buccaneers legend and insider Rondé Barber, talking about how the Bucs feel like a “crumbling” operation.

Tiki Barber even said of Todd Bowles: “Their head coach, he’s not solid,” Barber barked on his WFAN radio show in New York this week.  “He’s not on solid footing.”

Hmmm, from whom is Tiki Barber getting that read on Tampa Bay? Joe has a not-so wild guess.

More interesting to Joe, though, was Barber talking about how Baker Mayfield should be a trade target right now of multiple teams, including the New York Jets.

“How can you not look at Baker Mayfield and say, ‘I need to consider going after him,’” Barber bellowed. “Baker Mayfield to the New York Jets has to be a real conversation.”

Barber believes Mayfield’s public condemnation of the Bucs for not respecting his contract demands creates an opening, as the organization reels from the stinging Mayfield comments and assesses his future.

“This [Bucs] team could look completely different a year from now, and the last thing you want to do is tie yourself to a quarterback who is demanding to be paid like Dak Prescott. And he’s not Dak Prescott,” Barber said. “[Mayfield is] a good player. Maybe he should be making $50 million a year on a three-year deal. But he shouldn’t be making $60 million on a three-year deal. Like there’s this impasse that doesn’t feel like it’s going to get settled or the Bucs want to get settled.”

Barber pleaded to the Jets: “Capitalize on it.”

For those who didn’t get the reference before, Tiki Barber and Rondé Barber do not hide how close they are. Is Tiki getting cues from Rondé, who is tight with Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht?

“It feels like Tampa is crumbling,” Tiki Barber said, referring to Mayfield as “disgruntled.”

Joe doesn’t want to trade Mayfield, but it sure would be intriguing if the Jets were willing to cough up one of the three first-round picks they hold in the 2027 draft, a draft primed to be rich in QBs.

New York owns the Colts’ and Cowboys’ first-rounders, and their own.