Keyshawn Johnson and the Jets appear set to say goodbye. One report last night said that Keyshawn’s agent, Jerome Stanley, was negotiating with the Tampa Bay Bucs in an effort to work out a trade before Saturday’s NFL draft.

Jets owner Woody Johnson and Bill Parcells, said to be resigned to losing their star receiver because of salary-cap concerns, granted Stanley permission to work out a contract with the Bucs (and with three other teams).

Such a deal would give the Jets an unprecedented four picks in the first round: their 16th and 18th, and the Bucs’ 13th and 27th. No team has ever owned four first-round picks.

A Browns source in the report poured water on the notion that Parcells would then try to package three of those picks to move up and corral the first overall draft choice.

The Jets have refused to renegotiate Keyshawn’s contract, which has two years left, and bad blood between the sides has boiled over into the public arena. Keyshawn is due to make $2.244 million in base salary this year with a salary-cap number of $3.327 million. The Jets would save $1.161 million if they trade him.

A deal to the Bucs would be curious in this regard: Keyshawn would have Shawn King, a rookie last year, throwing him the ball and conservative Les Steckel, who prefers two tight end sets, as his offensive coordinator.

But Tony Dungy has been starving for a big-time, big-play receiver to take the heat off running backs Warrick Dunn and Mike Alstott.

If the Jets kept all four picks, new head coach Al Groh would then hope to be able to address needs at defensive end, offensive tackle, tight end and free safety.

But the loss of their best player would certainly compromise the franchise’s Super Bowl hopes and dreams.

This isn’t only the best player on the team, Keyshawn is arguably one of the top 10 players in the game, a player who lives for big plays, a player who never gets hurt, a player who just wants the damn ball, and too much money than the Jets are willing to pay.