They agreed to release him, but they didn't release him...might've had something to do with certain conditions being sorted out first, i.e. compensation/finding a replacement.
No...Cross's signing was announced within days of Eastwood's official release. The 8th and the 11th of October to be exact.
Cross's signing could only become official after they released Eastwood for obvious salary cap and quota reasons.
You really think it would have only taken 2 or 3 days for Leeds to get in contact with Cross, Cross to decide to leave his current contract, move his family to the other side of the world, negotiate a release from the Knights, the Knights to think it over and approve it, and the paperwork to be fully completed?
That all happened pretty quickly...