ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buffalo Bills president Russ Brandon opened 2013 vowing to transform what he called the franchises "tarnished" reputation. On Monday, Brandon closed the year with the job still incomplete. Though pleased with the direction the team has taken under first-year general manager Doug Whaley and first-year coach Doug Marrone, Brandon expressed disappointment with a 6-10 finish and the Bills extending the NFLs longest active playoff drought to 14 seasons. "I have all the faith and belief in (Marrone) and (Whaley) to keep continuing to get this ship pointed in the right direction and see significant progress as we enter 2014," Brandon said. "What we dont feel good about is sitting here and talking to you at 6-10. And that needs to change." Change was the operative word last off-season, when the Bills went through a near top-to-bottom overhaul. Buffalo purged much of its roster, and began a rebuilding plan that included drafting quarterback EJ Manuel with the 16th pick out of Florida State. The transition has yet to start paying dividends. In closing the season with a 34-20 loss at New England on Sunday, Buffalo finished with six wins for a third consecutive year, ended fourth in the AFC East for a sixth consecutive year, and extended its string of losing seasons to nine dating to a 9-7 finish in 2004. "With youth comes inconsistency," Whaley said. "So all those guys that contributed this year, we expect them to take a bigger step next year, play more consistent and be more productive." And that includes Manuel, who struggled with his consistency, and had his development stunted by injuries to both knees since August. Manuel missed the final two preseason games with a left knee injury. He missed four regular-season games after spraining his right knee in a 37-24 loss at Cleveland. And he then closed the year missing the final two games after tearing a ligament in his left knee. Manuel finished with a 4-6 record, completed just 58.8 per cent of his attempts (180 of 306 for 1,972 yards) and finished with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Marrone maintains confidence in Manuel, and has already informed the quarterback hell be the teams starter entering next season. Dismissing his critics, Manuel called his rookie season a learning process. "Obviously, youre going to have ups and downs as a rookie," Manuel said. "Ive had some good games, and theres a lot I can take and build from. I dont really know whos questioning things. But as far as me, Im just continuing to get better." Marrone announced hes already made one change to his staff by firing receivers coach Ike Hilliard because of "a difference in philosophy." Hilliard, who spent 12 seasons in the NFL playing receiver, was responsible for overseeing a young group that included rookies Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin. On the personnel front, Whaley intends to make an offer in a bid to re-sign three-time Pro Bowl safety Jairus Byrd. And Whaley didnt rule out the possibility of using the franchise designation for a second consecutive year to retain the players rights even if it risks the possibility of having the player miss the entire off-season as he did this past year. Byrd is open to re-signing, and also braced for possibility of the Bills retaining his rights once again. "Im at peace with everything. I know what to expect," Byrd said. "Ive gone through it once. And itll be good. However it works, itll be good." Statistically, the Bills showed improvement on several fronts. Their defence, though inconsistent in stopping the run, finished second in the NFL with a franchise-record 57 sacks. The defence ranked 10th in the NFL in yards allowed -- the units best finish since placing second in 2004. Byrd, defensive tackle Kyle Williams and defensive end Mario Williams all earned Pro Bowl selections this year. The defence also featured linebacker Kiko Alonso, a second-round pick, who is regarded an NFL defensive rookie of the year candidate. On offence, the Bills running attack finished second in the NFL with 2,307 yards -- the most since 1992. Running back Fred Jackson was among numerous veterans who expressed confidence the team might finally be turning the corner. "If you watched us play this year, youll know that were not the same team that weve been," Jackson said. "But theres no moral victories. We know that. We know that for us to be relevant, we have to win more football games." ---- NOTES: The Bills retained the rights to seven practice squad players: QB Dennis Dixon, DB Mario Butler, OTs Edawn Coughman and Jamaal Johnson-Webb, DE Ikponmwosa Igbinosun, WR Brandon Kaufman and LB Jacquies Smith. ... Whaley said hes open to re-signing PK Dan Carpenter and P Brian Moorman. Custom Texas Rangers Nike Jerseys .com) - Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James will sit out Thursdays game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with left knee soreness. Custom Baltimore Orioles Nike Jerseys . The freestyle skier from Calgary finished sixth in the qualification round with a total of 82.00 points. Groenewoud won a silver medal at the X Games last month, just over five weeks after undergoing double knee surgery. https://www.custombaseballnikejerseys.com/. The 30-year-old Moore played in 13 games for the Saints last season, catching 37 balls for 457 yards and two touchdowns. Stitched Custom Nike Baseball Jerseys . The Mavericks avoided a season sweep by the Nuggets, who ran away with a win in Denver two weeks ago to hand Dallas its longest losing streak at three games. Dallas (42-28) got a boost in the playoff race when Miami rallied from seven down in the last 3 1/2 minutes to beat Memphis 91-86 Friday night. Custom St. Louis Cardinals Nike Jerseys . But qualifying for her first Scotties Tournament of Hearts after years of falling short in tough Manitoba provincial championships is as good as consolation prizes get for the 29-year-old from Winnipegs Fort Rouge Curling Club.FALL RIVER, Mass. -- Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, charged with murder for what prosecutors say was the execution-style killing of a friend near his house, was denied bail on Thursday. Hernandezs lawyer argued that his celebrity status means even if he wanted to flee he couldnt and that the case against him is circumstantial. "He wants to clear his name," lawyer James Sultan told the judge. But Bristol County Assistant District Attorney Bill McCauley called the evidence in the June 17 slaying of Odin Lloyd overwhelming and said police had made discoveries Wednesday when they searched a condo Hernandez leased and a Hummer registered to him that was parked there. A jogger found Lloyds body in a remote area of an industrial park about a mile from Hernandezs home in North Attleborough 10 days ago. Lloyd was a semi-pro football player from Boston who was dating the sister of Hernandezs fiancee. Prosecutors said Hernandez orchestrated the killing because Lloyd talked to the wrong people at a nightclub. Hernandez, a 2011 Pro Bowl selection who signed a five-year contract with the Patriots worth $40 million, could face life in prison if convicted. In laying out more of the governments case Thursday, McCauley said prosecutors believe that the murder weapon was a .45-calibre Glock and that a gun Hernandez is seen holding on his home surveillance video, a weapon they havent found, appears to be a Glock. The prosecutor said that inside the Hummer investigators recovered an ammunition clip for .45-calibre bullets and that ammunition was found inside the condo. McCauley said a photograph had emerged online of Hernandez holding a Glock. District Attorney Sam Sutter would not be specific when asked by reporters after the hearing when the photo was taken, saying only that the information would emerge with the continuing investigation. Hernandezs lawyer said as far as he knew there was no eyewitness testimony and the prosecution had not given evidence that shows who shot Lloyd or whether there was a plan to kill him. He said Hernandez has no criminal record, owns a home and lives with his 8-month-old daughter and fiancee. "Mr. Hernandez is not just a football player but is one of the best football players in the United States of America," Sultan said, adding, "Hes young man who is extremely accomplished and hardworking in his chosen profession." Hernandez appeared in court with his hands cuffed in front of him and occasionally looked at his fiancee during Thursdays bail hearing. She cried when Bristol Superior Court Judge Renee Dupuis denied the request, but Hernandez showed little emotion. The judge said that it is rare for someone charged with first-degree murder to get bail and that Hernandez had the means to flee if he chose to do so. She acknowledged the prosecutions case was circumstantial but said it was "very, very strong" and called the scenario the prosecution described "cold-blooded." The Patriots cut Hernandez shortly after police arrested him on Wednesday. That day, authorities in Connecticut also made an arrest in connection with Lloyds slaying.dddddddddddd. New Britain States Attorney Brian Preleski said Thursday that investigators arrested 27-year-old Carlos Ortiz in Hernandez hometown, Bristol, Conn., as part of the murder probe. Authorities charged Ortiz as a fugitive from justice, and he agreed to be transferred to Massachusetts. Prison records show he was being held on $1.5 million bail at a Hartford, Conn., jail, but his public defender, Alfonzo Sirica, declined to comment about the case. On Thursday, residents of a condo complex in Franklin described seeing a two-day police search of the unit that neighbours believed Hernandez was renting. Carol Bailey, who lives next door to the two-bedroom unit, said police removed items from the third-floor condo and asked her questions about its occupants. She said a new tenant of the unit told her in May that he was moving in with his cousin and she realized later that the second man was the Patriots player. "I thought, This is Aaron Hernandez. Hes renting a place here so he can have some peace and quiet," Bailey said Thursday. She said she didnt see the two men often but Hernandez always had a hoodie pulled up when she saw him. "I think all of us who recognized who it was didnt want to invade his privacy," she said. Bailey said police towed a black Hummer with expired, temporary Ohio tags from the condo on Wednesday. Complex resident Kathleen McKeown, whose front door is a few feet from the unit police searched, said there were things that struck her as strange even before that. She said someone had plugged an air freshener into a hallway wall outlet outside the unit and put a jar with fragrance sticks on the floor by the door, as if to mask an odour. "I thought, Why would two guys be worried about the smell out in the hall?" she said. Authorities have said trouble that led to Lloyds killing happened on June 14, when Lloyd went with Hernandez to a Boston nightclub. "Apparently, Mr. Lloyd saw some people that he knew and began conversing with them," McCauley said Thursday. "The defendant took exception to that." Previously, McCauley had said only that Hernandez had unspecified trouble with the people and that a few hours before the killing he told a friend he couldnt trust anyone anymore. Prosecutors have said that on June 16 Hernandez and two unidentified friends picked up Lloyd from his Boston home in a rented silver Nissan Maxima, took him to a remote area of an industrial park and shot him five times. Lloyd, in the minutes before his death, sent a series of texts to his sister, who had seen him get into the car. "Did you see who I was with?" said the first, at 3:07 a.m. June 17. "Who?" she finally replied. "NFL," he texted back, then added: "Just so you know." Prosecutors have said they used cellphone tower data, text messages and surveillance video, including video from the security system Hernandez installed inside his home, to reconstruct his movements that night. ' ' '