TAMPA, Fla. — Buccaneers backup quarterback Ryan Griffin has had a pretty full offseason schedule. He made a name for himself as Tom Brady's sidekick as Brady vacationed with his friends.
"Obviously, the boat parade was a lot of fun," Griffin said with a huge grin. "The Kentucky Derby, the UFC fight. It’s been a lot of fun. Been a very fun offseason."
Griffin, 31, is one of a handful of veterans who showed up to the second week of Bucs organized team activities. He says he wants to get as much on-field time as possible, and he wants to get familiar with his new teammates.
"Obviously, you want to put out the best film you can, so working with these guys," Griffin said. "I mean I know a lot these guys will be guys that I’m throwing to so I need to build a rapport with them."
Griffin and second-round draft pick Kyle Trask are the only quarterbacks that have shown up for official workouts this preseason. Tom Brady, incumbent second-stringer Blaine Gabbert and a few receivers have been working out separately. Keeping four quarterbacks on the roster isn't a guarantee, but Head Coach Bruce Arians isn't counting Griffin out just yet.
"There are so many things that can happen between now and Sept. 9. Nobody is out. That's for sure," Arians said after Monday's practice. "Ryan, he comes out here and he’s as efficient as anybody we have."
"I’m competing against myself, and I’m competing against other guys across the league," Griffin said. "For me to be here right now, it’s just important for me to work on my craft."
Tampa Bay originally signed Griffin after New Orleans released him before the 2015 season. If he makes the final roster cut, Griffin will enter his seventh season with the team, making him the longest-tenured quarterback in Bucs franchise history.
The Bucs have one more day of OTAs before mandatory minicamp opens on Tuesday.
