That's it, they can't get away from the Skywalker Saga time period, events and characters. They just need to move on to something new.
This show has no stakes, it's happening between the originals and the sequels. We know the state of the universe at the beginning of The Force Awakens. Whatever they do in this show or movie set between the originals and the sequels is limited by how the universe is at the beginning of TFA.
Whatever the ultimate goal of Thrawn is, we know that there will be a First Order. He will reestablish the Empire because it doesn't exist in TFA.
So seriously fuck that era, and just move on 200+ years into the future, or go so far back in time like The Old Republic that the current events don't matter because so much time has passed.
I just want them to unfuck my Star Wars and give me good stories.