The Jimmy Clausen Effect: Buffalo Bills 2010 NFL Draft Options at No. 9

With Donovan McNabb now donning a red and gold jersey, Jimmy Clausen no longer seems like a possibility at No. 4 overall in the upcoming draft.

Cleveland at No. 7 may be a potential landing spot, along with Oakland at No. 8.

But for the sake of this article, let's just say Clausen is available at No. 9. What do the Buffalo Bills do?

Well, there are three answers to that question.

One answer would be simple: they pass on him. The Bills simply select the top player on their board not named Clausen, and go on with their draft, while his availability does not affect their draft plan at all.

Another answer would be to draft him. With a potential franchise quarterback on the board, Buffalo could be too tempted to let him slide past their selection. After all, it has been quite a long time since a legitimate quarterback has suited up as the starter for the Bills, and Clausen may be just the solution to that problem.

The third option is definitely the most intriguing: a trade. If Clausen is on the board at No. 9, will quarterback-needy San Francisco come calling?

The 49ers are without a doubt the most likely suitor if a trade were to happen. A league source told the San Jose Mercury News that if Clausen were available at the 49ers first pick, " there’s little doubt that the 49ers would select the Notre Dame QB at 13."

Would San Francisco pull the trigger on a move to leapfrog the Jacksonville Jaguars, another team who may be in the hunt for Clausen? With two first-round picks, they certainly have the firepower for such a deal.

Should that happen, it would allow the Bills to draft an offensive tackle at No. 13 and pick up an extra pick later on to fill more of their needs, which they certainly have plenty of.

Any of these scenarios have the potential to happen next weekend. The real question is: which direction will the Bills choose to go?