Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show
Bears coach Ben Johnson details vision for rookie tight end Sam Roush
08 May 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What insights does Ben Johnson share about rookie tight end Sam Roush?
Rahimi Harrison-Grote. Middays 10-2. On 104.3 The Score.
Blocking's a huge part of my identity as a player. That's something that I take immense pride in. That's something that I've worked on every day in college.
Chapter 2: How does Sam Roush's blocking ability define his role on the Bears?
That's obviously where a lot of my value is in the league. Obviously, Chicago's a place that's going to value that. I'm going to do everything that I can to play my role on this team. All I want to do is help the team be successful, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to make that happen.
That is Sam Roush. He is considered the best blocking tight end in the draft, and I think the Bears sure think so. Rookie minicamp is underway at Hallas Hall. This is Rahimi Harrison-Grody on 104.3 The Score. Sam Roush, 69th overall pick. Dramatic pause on a Friday.
Absolutely.
I'm going to let you fill in the gaps.
He's the new Durham Smythe, ladies and gentlemen. You never realized how important Durham Smythe was until we needed to figure out exactly why the Bears... They drafted a tight end in the third round. What exactly is going on?
It is of no offense to Sam Rauch, but I did not think that the third round at pick number 69 would be where the Bears replaced Durham Smythe.
Yeah, exactly. 6'6", 267. He's a short-arm guy. What about the short arms? Yeah, he's got a short-arm problem.
I was never anti-short arms, and then unfortunately I saw what happened to our dear Will Campbell as a rookie last year.
Poor Will got exploited.
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Chapter 3: What expectations does Ben Johnson have for Sam Roush in the upcoming season?
49 catches last year, 545 yards, two TDs. He was a three-year starter at Stanford, Sam Roush. So in theory, he's a smart guy to add to the locker room as well. But, yeah, I feel like, as I was saying earlier, Dylan Thienemann is the only guy who I could look at, and I pretty much know exactly what he's going to have or how he will contribute this year.
Second on the list would be Sam Roush because I think it's pretty –
easy and safe to say that yeah we think we could put you out there for 30 to 40 percent of the snaps and be a good blocker and catch a couple balls every once in a while right now did i layla rahimi think after the season ended and i saw durham smith do that interview with uh jeff jodiak for the last playoff game did i think that i would be talking about durham smith this much no in may
It's hilarious.
I did not. But you know what? Sam Rauch did his thing to get drafted where he was and to impress the Bears. So Ben Johnson, why don't you share me your vision? I will yee.
There were a number of really good players coming out this year, and we were fortunate to get one that we feel really highly about that can contribute, run game, pass pro, catching down the field. We feel like we got one of the more complete tight ends that this draft had to offer.
In regards to big picture and just where the league is going, obviously teams have had success with the two tight end, three tight end sets. Things kind of always go full circle, it seems like, and it wasn't that long ago that three receiver sets were kind of the
norm and now it seems to be transition on over a little bit more but I think the more you can you can look to attack the defense whether it's you want to give them a base defense or you feel comfortable competing against them when they're in their sub defenses it just the flexibility that tight ends give you I think it adds a dimension to your offense.
It almost feels like the Sam Rauch and Zavion Thomas picks were exclusive Ben Johnson. They're like, okay, we're giving you two. We're giving you two picks. Go get your tight end because you are obsessed with tight ends and justifiably so. And then you want a guy with a 4-2-8 who can return kicks and be a gadget guy in Zavion Thomas.
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Chapter 4: How does the tight end position influence the Bears' offensive strategy?
And I think we got a good one there.
Hmm. A vision, he says.
Mm-hmm.
If only we had a segment... Regarding Ben Johnson and Vision.
Nah. We don't need that. That seems trite. Ben's Vision. Very cliche.
Nobody would want to sponsor that. No. I don't think it would be a segment.
Ben's Vision. Man.
What time is that on on the afternoon show?
Who knows? Maybe they're Ben. Who's on the afternoon show today?
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Chapter 5: What challenges does Sam Roush face as a rookie tight end?
I like that combo. That's a good combo.
Yeah, man, love Goff.
Shout out to Lawrence Holmes, too. We miss you, man, but enjoy your vacation. It does look like he is.
Yeah, please know that Lawrence is okay.
He's just out of town. He's doing what we should all do, and that's take a long vacation.
I don't even know if he's out of town anymore, actually.
I don't know.
But he's resting, so that's a good thing. Also, since we have the time, more Ben?
More Ben.
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Chapter 6: How does Ben Johnson envision using multiple tight ends in his offense?
Who will lead the Bears in receiving coming up in the 2026 season?
All right, me as a system, like an evaluator of system, I don't necessarily think person or individual. I still think it's probably wide receiver one in a functioning offense. The challenge is who is wide receiver one? I mix in my tight ends with that, but I don't necessarily think that results in Colston Loveland. Should it result in DJ Moore? Can't.
But should it result in Rome, especially given where he was drafted?
It really needs to be Rome, doesn't it? I'm not saying... I am not here to predict that it's going to be Roma Doomsday. It needs to be Roma Doomsday, though. He was drafted number nine overall.
Do you know who else I think needs it to be Rome is Caleb Williams.
Yes. And they did have a night like... Roma Dunzey had a nice start to his season last year, and then the foot injury crept up and he just never was the same, and obviously dropped a key pass at the end of the season. He did not have a good year last year, did Roma Dunzey, but he needs to have a good year. I mean, I'm all for it.
If Luther Burden wants to blast off and get 1,200 yards this year and become a star, then I'm all for it.
Nobody's going to complain.
Nobody's going to complain, but Roma Dunzey needs to be that. He has not yet lived up to being a top 10 draft pick.
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Chapter 7: What is the significance of Sam Roush's draft position for the Bears?
If your last name is Large...
Also the pitch to Iowa. Hey, my first name's Hayden. You guys do well with them.
Hayden Fry. That's right. I almost said Hayden Fox because that was the coach on that show, right?
Coach. The show was called Coach. It was called Coach.
It was called Coach. That was his name, right? Hayden Fox.
I always liked Dauber. Dauber.
Oh, yeah. Dumb Dauber.
Dauber was the, no, not dumb.
Well, he's kind of ditzy.
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Chapter 8: What are the broader implications of Sam Roush's performance for the Bears' future?
But I'm pretty sure he was Dauber. I think, well, one of them was, was Dauber the defensive coordinator and maybe Van Dyke was like the assistant head coach or just like, like that steady veteran that you gotta have. Like he probably in his fake career had been a head coach previously and now he's just joining the staff with coach.
Coach. Coach. I want to give a quick little behind the scenes as far as where the name Squirrel came from. Oh, please. So full name is Markarius Malik Squirrel White. And according to Tennessee football pages, nickname originated from his great grandmother who called him Squirrel as an infant after he moved simultaneously with a squirrel in her garden. Okay. Moves like Squirrel.
Love good squirrel.
Squirrel fast. Squirrels are fascinating.
Jerry Van Dyke was Luther.
Luther, yeah.
And what was the... Bill... I don't know how to say his last name. Foggerbacke? I don't know. Dobber Dabinski.
Dobber Dabinski. That's five bears right there. Dobber Dabinski.
Christine was Coach's wife.
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