Baby won't sleep after starting solids! HELP

Okay. So I always breastfed my 7 month old son to sleep and would gently place him in his crib. When I started solids he no longer fed nearly long enough to become sleepy!

When it's naptime- he shows signs of sleepiness so I try to make him more sleepy before he gets overtired. I've tried rocking him, singing, lullabys. He always has white noise and a dark room.

The thing is NOTHING WORKS. I HAVE to put him down in his crib to cry :'( it absolutely breaks my heart. I also don't want him to associate his crib with a negative thing. All I can do is pat his back and shush him in hopes he'll go to sleep. HELP PLEASE. I need to find ways to make him sleepy without him cio 💔