The discussion surrounding Seattle wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh and his future with the Seahawks has taken a definite turn towards his exit from the club in recent days, with the team making a strong push to find a trade partner prior to Saturday’s roster cut down deadline.

According to Danny O’Neil of the Seattle Times, the Seahawks are on the verge of reaching a “point of no return” with Houshmandzadeh, as the coaching staff has reportedly come to the conclusion that he’s no longer a vital part of the team’s offense.

The other motivating factor in all of this is the Seahawks interest in acquiring Pro Bowl receiver Vincent Jackson from San Diego, and while it’s theoretically possible that they could make a deal for Jackson without sending Houshmandzadeh packing first, the most likely scenario would have Seattle handling their internal business first before venturing out to get Jackson.

At this point, the Seahawks could very well end up deciding to grant Houshmandzadeh his outright release if a viable trade partner cannot be found, but the preferred course of action would be to get something back in return.

If Houshmandzadeh is released, teams likely to be interested would include Minnesota, Kansas City, Jacksonville, Clevaland, and Pittsburgh.