The Las Vegas Raiders were a fun story to start the NFL season after they got off to a 3-0 start. They've since crashed back down to earth with four consecutive losses. That should have higher-ups in Las Vegas thinking long and hard about the possibility of selling off veterans for draft capital before this year's trade deadline.

The Titans gave the Raiders a clear blueprint on how to proceed when they managed to flip veteran defensive tackle to the Bears for two first-round picks. That's a massive return for a Tennessee team that knows they need to hit the reset button via the draft. Getting two premium picks in exchange for a talented player who is too old to fit their rebuilding timeline was a shrewd piece of business for the Titans.

Maxx Crosby can fetch the Raiders a similar trade haul to Jeffery Simmons

The Raiders happen to have a defensive lineman who fits that description. Maxx Crosby is not a dominant defensive tackle, but he is a high-quality edge rusher who could help a number of Super Bowl hopefuls looking to boost their defensive credentials. The 29-year-old is at the back end of his athletic prime, which makes now the perfect time for Las Vegas to pull the trigger on a trade.

The Raiders should not feel pressured to offload Crosby on a discount, but the market for Simmons shows they should be in position to field multiple offers for their star edge rusher. Their front office should jump at the chance to get two first-rounders for Crosby if any of their peers are willing to make that offer. That's just the sort of offer they thought they'd agreed to with Baltimore in the offseason.

The Raiders really should consider accepting a little bit less since Crosby's potential impact on a new team has been dimished by seven games. If they get an offer that includes one first-rounder and a meaningful additional asset of some kind, they should make the deal. Something along the lines of Round 1 pick plus a conditional third-rounder would represent good value for Las Vegas.

Offloading the face of the franchise would be a painful transaction for Raiders fans, but the franchise's priority should be shifting to surrounding No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza with as talent as possible. They need to maximize their future draft capital to accomplish that goal. Trading Crosby for picks is the most direct route for the front office to accumulate the type of assets needed to maximize Mendoza's chances of success.

The Simmons deal should show Las Vegas the way forward. Teams are starved for defensive line help and Crosby is one of the best veterans with a reasonable chance of moving. It's time for the Raiders to cash in their biggest trade chip.