A Hannibal-free series (as required by the studio's contract) is not a bad idea unto itself. There is a 10-year gap between Buffalo Bill and when Lecter makes contact with Clarice in "Hannibal". The issues are that its pacing is too slow and that the actual FBI casework takes a backseat to Clarice's PTSD, her personal life, and the corruption and misogyny of the bureau. Clarice investigating Thomas Harris-inspired criminals should have been the focus of the series. The intrigue Harris' stories were about the psychopathy of the criminals not the psychiatric demise of the investigators.
Review of Clarice
