The Broncos opened training camp before this season with a starting center vacancy.

Luke Wattenberg took control.

“He came into this year with a lot of pride to get the job, and to make sure that he was the guy that took us where we needed to go offensively,” right tackle Mike McGlinchey told The Denver Gazette last week after practice at Broncos Park. “He’s such a great communicator. He keeps all of us on the same page out there. He’s playing his (butt) off.”

The Broncos (7-5) host the Browns (3-8) in Week 13 on Monday Night Football at Empower Field. Wattenberg has started in eight of 12 games; missing four starts while on injured reserve (ankle) earlier this season. The fifth-round draft pick (2022) from Washington in his third NFL season has grown to become a key member of Denver’s offensive line.

His chemistry with rookie quarterback Bo Nix continues to grow. The Broncos defeated the Raiders, 29-19, on Sunday in Las Vegas.

“The big thing is just getting reps between us. The more we play together, the better we click and communicate,” Wattenberg said on a Monday teleconference call with local media. “As soon as (Nix) stepped in the building, I think everyone could kind of feel his confidence, and his confidence in his own abilities. … The way he runs the offense; I think it does not feel like he’s a rookie. It’s great for us up front and I think everyone feeds off it.”

Wattenberg spent his first two Broncos seasons studying the success of ex-starting center Lloyd Cushenberry (signed with Titans). Wattenberg credits his former teammate for preparation to take over the job in Denver.

“(Cushenberry) was a great guy to learn from,” Wattenberg said. “His attention to detail is his biggest asset and that’s what I took from him. … Every meticulous detail, from his notes to the way he practices to the techniques he uses.”

Wattenberg, 27, is now earning the respect of his current teammates.

“He’s overall kind of quiet, but the hard work doesn’t go unnoticed,” left guard Quinn Meinerz told The Denver Gazette last week. “When he needs to make the calls, he makes it loud enough for us to all know what we’ve got to do. He’s very confident in that, and that’s because he works really hard. … It’s on all of us to get on the same page. But he gets us there.”