Hi K.. I am not a big fan of CIO either. You will have to put up with some crying if you want to change habits, but that does not mean your LO has to cry alone.
You can certainly nurse him, then rock him til he is ALMOST asleep, then put him down. Stay with him til he does fall asleep. Rub his head, belly, back, talk to him in a soothing voice. He might cry a little or a lot, but stick with it for several nights. He'll catch on, and then you will be able to put him down awake.
With older infants it might take a week or more, so be prepared to dedicate the time. It is hard to listen to your baby cry, so also be prepared for that, but remember, he is not alone, and you are not making your baby cry, he is just learning a new skill.
I would recommend you start now, and not wait until he is one year. It will only be harder as he gets older and the habit gets more and more entrenched.
Also, it is VERY easy to just give in and go back to your old ways. So if you start teaching him a new skill, STICK with it. If you try it, and go back to your old ways you will only confuse him.
GOOD luck to you!