FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : RAIDERS : Davis Wants Renovation After Season

Raider owner Al Davis said he hopes the long-delayed renovations to the Coliseum begin at the end of the 1992 season.

“I’ve got to be realistic, predicated on the economy, although the economy should not affect the renovation,” Davis said. “In fact, it should help it because money is easier to get. There’s a much lower interest rate (than) at the time when we felt we’d go ahead.

“I’ve got to be tremendously optimistic, even though I have some considerations within my disappointments. We’ll know pretty soon. And I’ve got to be optimistic because the people who made the commitments to me are all strong people financially.

“I think that they have to get started, certainly, right after this season. And to get started after this season, they have to do certain things within the next couple of months.”

What happens if the project is delayed again?

“I don’t want to get into a worst-case (scenario),” Davis said. “Let’s assume it’s going to happen.”

Steve Ortmayer, director of football operations, said the Raiders won’t renegotiate the contracts of defensive ends Greg Townsend and Scott Davis, who have failed to report to camp.

Ortmayer said there has been no progress in contract talks with the Raiders’ five unsigned players--tailback Marcus Allen, cornerbacks Lionel Washington and Terry McDaniel, linebacker Winston Moss and wide receiver Tim Brown.

“We’re just in hopes that we can start to make this thing move, and that they will start to understand that they need to be in here,” Ortmayer said.

The Raiders got a scare when cornerback Dan Land appeared to be injured during a drill Wednesday morning, but Land was able to continue.

“You get concerned when a guy goes down, but those things happen,” Coach Art Shell said. “When you compete hard, sometimes those things happen. But he jumped up and was right back in there the next play.”

The Raiders left Wednesday for a three days of practice against the Phoenix Cardinals in Flagstaff, Ariz.