Al Davis gets a chance to see what all his cash created Thursday, as the Raiders take the field to open training camp in Napa, Calif.

The 79-year-old owner wasn’t slowed by age when it came to writing checks this offseason, as he furiously signed away mega-millions to free agents.

There’s a sense that he might not have many years left as his health continues to decline. He’d like to see the Raiders contend for a Super Bowl one last time, so he decided to improve his team as much as he could as quickly as he could by loading the pockets of free agents. Davis started off by signing DT Tommy Kelly to what was at the time the largest contract ever for a defensive tackle — seven years, $50.5 million with more than $18 million guaranteed — even though he was coming off a torn ACL and had never nabbed more than 4½ sacks in a season. Davis guaranteed $16 million each to S Gibril Wilson and WR Javon Walker, who had missed 23 games in the past three seasons because of multiple knee injuries that limited him in OTAs.

In about one week, Davis shelled out more than $144 million in contracts this spring, but he wasn’t finished. Davis traded second- and fifth-round picks for Falcons CB DeAngelo Hall and guaranteed him close to $20 million.

Each of those expensive moves came under fire. It was clear Davis was set on reversing his team’s fortunes, but was this the right way to do it?

Walker and Kelly have serious knee problems, which could limit them early in camp, and Walker suffered a fractured orbital bone when he was beaten and robbed after a night of partying in Las Vegas in June. Hall has a reputation for losing his composure on the field and engaged in a shouting match with his head coach on the sideline during a game last season.

The bloated contracts could come back to haunt Davis, but even if he doesn’t get much bang for his buck, it’s the contracts he didn’t get done that will go down as his two biggest errors in the long run.

CB Nnamdi Asomugha and DE Derrick Burgess — two pillars of the Raiders’ defense over the past three years — both asked for new deals this offseason, but were not rewarded.

Davis took care of at least one of his own on defense, showing Kelly the money, but he puzzled close observers of the team by spurning the much more reliable Asomugha and Burgess.

Asomugha received the franchise tag, which he dreaded, even though it will pay him a handsome $9.8 million this season. The money is nice, but that’s not all the sixth-year veteran was looking for. Regarded as one of the top man corners in the league and a charitable figure off the field, Asomugha wanted a long-term deal. Sources indicated he would have been willing to backload his deal and play for a low salary during the first year or two of a deal, just to have some stability in his future, but the Raiders were unable to reach an agreement with him.

Derrick Burgess

Somewhat shockingly, both players opted not to hold out and have reported to training camp on time. Leading up to camp, it looked like Asomugha was strongly considering a holdout, until he announced he would sign his one-year tender Wednesday night. Burgess skipped voluntary workouts in the offseason, but did report to mandatory ones. Head coach Lane Kiffin was asked about potential holdouts by two of his defensive stars, but said he wasn’t worried. If any two players could afford to miss some time, it’s those two, he said, because they stay in great shape.

There’s a strong sense from those close to the team that this just isn’t right. It sends the wrong message to guys who have worked hard, accomplished much, even in a terrible time for the franchise, and made some sacrifices along the way, thinking their payday was coming.

Davis has a couple of good soldiers in Asomugha and Burgess, but he let them down.

He could place the franchise tag on Asomugha again after this season and force him to play for another one-year tender. Asomugha’s relationship with the franchise could be damaged beyond repair already, and that would throw more fuel on the fire. He’s likely plotting his exit from Oakland.

Burgess might be doing the same as he eyes free agency after the ’09 season, though, unlike the case of Asomugha, who cannot be negotiated with again until next offseason since he was franchised, Davis still has time to mend things with Burgess, if he so desires.

Davis might have shown poor judgment and recklessness in his questionable big spending over the past few months, but his stubborn negotiations with Asomugha and Burgess and the failure to secure new deals for them will go down as the biggest failures of the ’08 offseason.

Two mainstays on a team that has been anything but stable recently might feel so slighted that they have no interest in ever signing another contract to play for the Raiders.