For Raiders, Florida week beats training camp

SARASOTA, Fla. — Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio has compared this week in Florida to training camp, but linebacker Malcolm Smith said it’s better.

“As far as team bonding goes, this is a great experience,” Smith said. “It’s better than camp because we’re not fighting for jobs. This is our group and we’re getting ready to play Sunday.”

The team is staying and having meetings at the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota, and practicing at nearby Bradenton’s IMG Academy. The players leave for Tampa on Friday for Sunday’s game against the Bucs.

There are no formal team outings planned, but the players are free to do what they want — just as if they were back home — and there are a lot of meals being shared, movies being watched and video games being played.

Side trip: Del Rio will return to Jacksonville’s EverBank Field for the second time in a week, when he watches his son, Luke, play quarterback for Florida against Georgia on Saturday.

“It will be pretty cool to get that opportunity to go back to the stadium that we just played in,” the former Jacksonville head coach said. “This is the same field that he was by my side for nine years, throwing the ball in pregame warm-ups. It’ll be really awesome to go back and watch him play.

“He was on the sideline with me as a young man, and now he’s grown into a guy who has a chance to lead a program like Florida in a stadium where we grew up watching the Jaguars and Gators play. Very thrilled for him.”

Being a football dad is tougher than being a football coach, Del Rio added.

“That’s harder than anything I do,” he said, laughing. “There’s no question about it. That’s the hardest thing I do. Coaching, playing, no problem, but watching your kid, that’s tough.”