The Toronto Argonauts are now officially Kerry Joseph’s team.

Joseph and the Argos resumed practising Monday after some much-needed time off during last week’s bye. It also marked the team’s first gathering since disgruntled backup quarterback Michael Bishop was dealt to Saskatchewan on Saturday for a conditional draft pick.

By making the move, Toronto is pinning its offensive hopes on Joseph’s muscular shoulders. Backing him up now are Reggie McNeal - who has started of late at receiver - and Cody Pickett, both untested in CFL circles.

But Joseph said he has always felt like the Argos were his team.

“I felt that coming in here,” he said. “Coming into a new situation I wanted to be the leader that I can be.

“That’s all I can do. That’s what I’m focusing on doing.”

Bishop participated in his first practice with the Riders on Monday. And while Bishop told reporters afterwards he was looking forward to a new beginning in Saskatchewan, the former Kansas State star was again critical of the Argos and how they handled their quarterback situation.

“When I was in Toronto there were a lot of mixed emotions and me being told this and that but right now that chapter of my life is in the past,” he said. “I’m glad I’m in an organization that’s honest and up front and lets you know what’s going on from the top.

“I played a guessing game and I think every player at a point in their career has to go through the guessing game. I’m tired of that and ready to move forward.

“Right now I’m just glad to be here and I know I’m going to get treated well here. That’s one of the things that I want from the organization is respect and to be treated with some respect. I definitely feel it here. I felt it from the time I got off the plane when I got here so it’s a great feeling.”

Joseph said he never had a problem with Michael Bishop and that the two had a very healthy working relationship.

“We had a good working relationship, it was fine,” Joseph said matter of factly. “Nothing was wrong with our relationship.

“We worked hard against one another and tried to make each other better. We’re both competitors, we both want to get out there and win and help our team win.”

Joseph said Bishop is walking into a pretty good situation in Regina. The Roughriders are 6-2 and atop the West Division standings and always receive solid support from their rabid football fans. Then again, Joseph should know, given he experienced all of that first-hand last year in guiding Saskatchewan to a Grey Cup title.

But Bishop’s departure ends a tense five months for the Argos, who stepped into a quarterback controversy in early March when they acquired Joseph, the CFL’s outstanding player last year. Bishop wrested the No. 1 job in Toronto from veteran Damon Allen last year and compiled a stellar 11-1 record as a starter.

However, the season ended miserably for both Bishop and Toronto in a 19-9 home loss to Winnipeg in the East Division final. Still, Bishop believed the starting job would be his in ‘08.

That all changed when the Argos acquired the six-foot, 210-pound Joseph from Saskatchewan while also re-signing Bishop. Both players were assured they’d play but were put in a very uncomfortable position when on the same day the Argos introduced Joseph to local media, they also announced Bishop’s contract extension.

The projected quarterback platoon never materialized, though, as Joseph has been the starter for Toronto (3-5) and taken the vast majority of snaps. Bishop played in the second half of Toronto’s 32-14 loss to Montreal on Aug. 15, his first game action since July 10.

Toronto’s offence has struggled badly this year with either Joseph or Bishop under centre. The Argos are ranked last in total yards (331 per game) and passing completion percentage (54.6), seventh in rushing (94.4 yards per game) and points scored (20.9 per game) and sixth in passing (258 yards per game).

Joseph has struggled at times, too. After passing for a career-high 4,002 yards last year, Joseph has thrown for 1,735 yards heading into the midway point of the ‘08 season. He has completed 55 per cent of his passes and has almost as many interceptions (10) as touchdowns (12).

Joseph had always been a rushing threat throughout his career, running for over 700 yards last year. Joseph has a solid 7.4-yards per carry average this season but has run for just 290 yards and has more fumbles (four) than touchdowns (three).

All of which prompted Joseph to give a rather candid response when asked to give himself a mid-season grade.

“I would say below average,” he said. “I can play a lot better.

“That’s been my whole thought process through the bye week, of doing what I can do to be better.”

Predictably, Joseph said the Argos’ quarterback plight was never a distraction to him. But it proved to be to his teammates, even going so far as to cause division within the club’s locker room.

With Bishop gone, Joseph said he doesn’t feel any extra pressure to get Toronto back on the winning track.

“My job is to go out there and perform and do my job to the fullest and the highest level possible,” he said. “No one puts any more pressure on me than myself.”

Meanwhile in Regina, the pressure is on the Riders to make a decision regarding the status of veteran Marcus Crandell, who became the club’s starter when Joseph was dealt to Toronto.

Head coach Ken Miller says while no decision has been made regarding Crandell’s future, he certainly feels for the veteran quarterback.

“I hold Marcus in very high esteem,” Miller said. “He is a strong character guy and this has been a horrible situation for Marcus.

“We’re going to work out for Marcus and us the best solution to the situation we face. Nothing has been determined at this point.”

Despite having the CFL’s best record, the Roughriders have struggled of late, having lost two straight games. Crandell had his problems in last week’s 27-10 defeat to Edmonton, completing just 7-of-24 passes for 134 yards and a TD.

Overall, Crandell is 67-of-128 passing (52.3 per cent) for 924 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions. But Miller said the decision to acquire Bishop wasn’t made on the spur of the moment.

“It’s a situation that has accumulated over a period of time,” he said. “We’ve scored three offensive touchdowns in 10 quarters.

“With the dynamics of our offence we need to move to a situation where we have a more mobile kind of quarterback and that’s at least a good portion of the thought process.”