The receiver room was a rather young group prior to the signing of Allen as Jalen Reagor was the most experienced player in the room following Mike Williams’ retirement.
Now the dynamics have changed a little bit says Johnston, as they have leaned on the veteran when they have any questions.
“They didn’t really change a whole lot, but at the same time just acknowledged him being in there,” Johnston said. “We’ll be going through film or something and lean back on him if we have any questions since he has played as long as he had. Kind of just pick his brain.”
And for the players he didn’t play with before, they’ve enjoyed the benefits of getting to learn firsthand from one of the best route runners in the game.
Second-year wide receiver Ladd McConkey, who showed off his route-running repertoire as a rookie, has embraced the opportunity as he’s spent some time on the practice field talking to his new teammate and getting tips.
“Just picking his brain, he’s done it for a long time at a high level,” McConkey said about Allen. “Any knowledge I can gain, I’m going to do it. Just talking through routes, stuff like that, seeing what he’s seeing, how he runs his routes.
“I feel like I’d be dumb if I didn’t pick his brain,” McConkey added.
McConkey said he’s studied the veteran since before he became his teammate, opting to watch his work in previous seasons and techniques both as a rookie and this year.
Now getting to watch him up close, he’s been able to see in person what’s made him one of the best in the game for a long time.
“Very decisive, and he’s smart. He’s super smart, he knows how to win based off leverage,” McConkey said. “He doesn’t just have to run by you, he can set you up at the top, stick and he has great hands.
“There’s contested catches all over the place in the league, and I think he does that at a high level,” McConkey added.