Jalen Ramsey Shows Up At Jaguars Training Camp In Armored Truck

There is a long history of NFL players steering into training camp on the first day behind the wheel of an ultraexpensive vehicle as a reminder of their wealth. On Wednesday, Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey took the ritual one step further -- or back, depending on one's point of view.

Ramsey, seeking an upgraded contract from the Jacksonville Jaguars, emerged from the back of a bank's armored truck. He even brought a driver who doubled as a hypester.

"The man so good, they gonna give him his own jail," cried Ramsey's shill through a bullhorn, "because these receivers are on 24-hour lockdown."

And, "This man's coverage is so good, he's been having his own cellphone service."

Credit Ramsey for making his point through the filter of humor, however rudimentary it was.

The fifth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Ramsey is slated to earn $3.63 million in base salary this season as his original four-year deal -- estimated at $23.53 million, including the signing bonus -- expires.

Last month, his agent requested an extension, pointing to his stellar stats, two-time selection to the Pro Bowl and durability. (Ramsey has started every game.) Instead, the Jags exercised their right to pick up his option for a fifth season. Ramsey is due a hefty raise to $13.703 million in 2020, which would elevate him to the upper tier for cornerbacks' compensation, but he is subject to a franchise tag the following year.

Previous comments suggest that Ramsey is not bitter over the situation.

"Take it however you may want to take that," he was quoted in The Florida Times-Union newspaper about the club's refusal for an extension. "As long as I'm part of this organization ... I'm going to give the city [and] the players all I got. I think you know that."

"I feel like I have outplayed my rookie contract, and I feel that I've earned a new contract," he added. "But at the end of the day, it's not the end of the world."

Ramsey could have employed irony and wheeled into camp in an aging, dilapidated pick-up, but the armored truck was a clever approach.

No matter the ride that delivered him there, the Jags surely were happy to see Ramsey. A prominent teammate, defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, took a more time-worn traditional means to protest his contract. He did not show up.