I have a few cats and a dog. Ticks are a problem at my house due to the large field right behind our house. The cats come in and there is literally a trail of these full gray / black ?tick? Bugs. I have seen many pictures of regular ticks and they do not match. All of them are about the same size maybe an 1/8th of an inch to 3/16ths... Are they baby ticks that just get full and fall off?.

They almost look like little black beads..?

It may be seed ticks, from your description. And yes they will engorge themselves with blood and release from the animal.
They are actually a larval stage of ticks, and where you see one you see MANY.
They can be treated with products like Frontline.
If you have multiple cats it may be more cost effective for you to use the Frontline Spray rather than the drops.
Or perhaps your vet has product that is cost effective for you.
Do not use the cheap products that you pick up at department stores please.
They don't work as well and cats can be very sensitive to chemicals.
I've seen too many cats come into the clinic where I work having seizures and neurologic problems.
Your vet will know which products will be safe for your cats.
Good luck