Title says it all. Thanks in advance.

Yeah just don't talk to farengar and turn it in after talking to Jarl Bulgruuf, you may still have to take the dragonstone which is weightless even though is says it weighs 25. I am pretty sure when you kill the guy with the claw and read the journal it starts the related quest, learning the shout will trigger the draugr

Yep, you can do the whole Bleak Falls dungeon, get the claw, get the stone, get the word off the wall, return the claw to the merchant in Riverwood for your reward there... just don't give the Dragonstone to Farengar. As already noted you can tote the stone around indefinitely until you're ready to start dealing with those pesky dragons. I got the Bleak Falls quest from the merchant in Riverwood and cleared the whole dungeon and never even set foot in Whiterun until I was sent there for the Civil War questline. When Farengar wanted to send me to get the Dragonstone I just said "What... this old thing?" and handed it over then. (BTW if you *are* doing the CW quests, you will be required to start and finish Dragon Rising before you can complete the CW quest Message To Whiterun which is your first quest as an "official" member of either CW faction. So if you are looking to put off Dragon Rising for as long as possible, don't leap headfirst into the CW either.)

The "not handing the stone over" way is how I normally deal with it. However, a warnng: in my last game I went into Dragon's Reach and went too close to Farangar and he started the next bit of the quest. That is, without me initiating conversation. You also cannot buy anything from him as he will advance quest as soon as you talk to him: you do not get a choice to avoid the subject.

That's why I never went to Dragonsreach at all with this PC until I had to do it for the CW quest. I remembered how the MQ just sort of steamrolls you at certain points, scripted stuff takes over and you have no option to do or discuss anything else. If you're not careful you're right in the middle of Dragon Rising before you know it.

If you're on PC, there's a mod which will "untag" quest items like the Dragonstone so you can leave them at home until you want them.... though of course, if you're not really careful that CAN bite you where it hurts if you leave it in a respawning container....

If you find the dragons so problematic, I would recommend going through the MQ untill you start 'A Blade in the Dark'. Starting that quest will stop all random dragons untill it is completed.

It's reading the word wall which allows you to complete "The Golden Claw" not obtaining the dragonstone. You can leave the dragonstone in the dead draugr's inventory, then take the claw back to Valerius. If you don't read the word wall and head back to the riverwood trader, you won't get the dialogue option to hand over the claw - even though you have it on you.

Don't take the dragonstone off the Drauger !

I did the trader quest right out if Helgen. Returned the claw to him....

I still have the stone on me...@lvl 46. I have been in Whiterun many times. I have spoken to the dark elf (so she won't stalk me and force convo) and traded with Farengar. I have assassinated emissaries and forge a new identity as a favor to the guild.

What I have NOT done is spoken to the Jarl...so no flying lizards and I'm pretty sure no sleep for Balgruuf lol!